


Precious Cargo

by Jparker97



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Blood Loss, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Hospitalization, Loss of Virginity, NSFW, Sharing a Bed, Shooting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2019-09-14 13:57:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 34,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16914138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jparker97/pseuds/Jparker97
Summary: Guinevere “Gwen” Adams is a new member of the Avengers. She’s been assigned to her first major mission and Bucky has been assigned as protection. They go undercover as husband and wife to protect the children of two engineers that have been kidnapped by HYDRA. Can they keep it professional or will suppressed feelings compromise everything?





	1. The Beginning

“Damn Barnes, what did that punching bag ever do to you?” I called out across the training room. Bucky was beating the hell out of the poor thing and it was hanging by a thread. He gave it one final punch and it flew across the room, sand going everywhere. 

“Oh you know, I was just imagining that it was that Travis dude you used to date. I mean, it’s hard to tell the difference between them,” he taunted, “ya know, since there’s nothin’ of value on the inside.” 

Ouch. He must have really hated him. We’re only teammates, but I honestly felt that there might be a little more on his end. It could also be a ‘older brother’ type thing because he didn’t like me going on the tough missions that he went on. To him, I’m ‘too young’ and ‘not experienced enough’ to be on the team. I’ve heard him ask Steve a few times why I was even around and it bothered me at first, but now I just shrug it off. I don’t have to prove anything to him. Well, at least that’s what I tell myself. 

“Thanks Barnes. Confirming what I already thought. His name is Trevor by the way. I know he wasn’t the best guy I’ve dated, but-” 

“Wasn’t the best guy? Gwen he only wanted one thing from you! I thought you were smart enough to find a decent guy to bring home,” Bucky interjected. “He treated you like dirt and he only stuck around in the hopes of getting into your pants! If you honestly couldn’t see that, then maybe you’d be better off with him.” I stood there, too hurt to argue back. That was low, even for Barnes. 

“Wow. You really know how to compliment a girl don’t ya? It’s a wonder how you manage to get women to come home with you.” I picked my water bottle up and headed towards the door. “I’ll just come back when you and your nasty-ass attitude are done,” I called over my shoulder. God that man irritates me to no end. Doesn’t help that I think he’s hotter than a tin roof on the 4th of July. He called after me but I was already out the door. I was almost to the elevator when I felt a hand on my shoulder stop me. 

“Hey I said to hold on.” Bucky was smirking at me and if I wasn’t so mad at him I would have been a little turned on. “You wanna know what my secret is to getting girls to come home with me? They aren’t you.” Oh. That. Fucking. Bastard. “I find that if a dame is easy enough to take home, then she’s only good for one thing. One thing that you’re not good enough for.” 

SLAP. I had heard enough. I’m not one for unnecessary violence, but that was the last straw and he asked for it. 

“James Buchanan Barnes, go to hell. Don’t ever talk to me or even look in my direction ever again. You’re a fucking pig. Take that metal arm of yours and go fuck yourself.” His face had a perfect red handprint on it and he had the decency to look shocked. I turned around and started walking towards the elevator again when FRIDAY’s voice rang out over the intercom. 

“ALL TEAM MEMBERS TO THE MEETING ROOM IMMEDIATELY PLEASE. REPEAT ALL TEAM MEMBERS TO THE MEETING ROOM IMMEDIATELY PLEASE.” 

Looks like there’s going to be another mission. I got to the elevator and hit the Up button. The elevator dinged and opened and I stepped in and pushed the button for the floor I needed. The doors were almost shut when a metal hand stopped them. Barnes stepped in and stood on the opposite side from me, face still bright red where I slapped him. Good. Dam Bastard. The doors shut and we went up but stopped after a few floors and Wanda and Sam stepped in. 

“What’s wrong with your face Barnes? Did the punching bag hit back finally?” Sam joked. Wanda studied me for a moment before turning to Sam. 

“She hit him,” she stated as Wilson lost it, doubling over in laughter and clutching his side. “That handprint is too small to belong to a man, and she’s the only one in the elevator with him.” 

“Gwen hit you? This little lady here hit you? Daaaaaaaaamn,” Sam says, “you must have deserved it. She doesn’t hit just anyone!” He laughed some more and Wanda giggled. I grinned. I’m so proud of myself. Time to brag a bit. 

“Yeah I slapped him. Not gonna lie, my hand hurts, but not as much as his ego might.” Man did it feel good to rub it in. Bucky’s jaw clenched as he turned to glare at me. I met his glare with one of my own while I raised my hand and wiggled my fingers. He glanced down at my hand and stepped back. Is he scared of me now, or just more wary of me? Either way I’ll take it. 

Wilson was crying he was laughing so much and Wanda patted me on the back in a ‘good job’ way. Bucky growled and glowered at them while balling his hands into fists. The elevator dinged on the meeting room floor and we were met by Steve. He took one look at us and cocked an eyebrow. 

“Anyone care to explain why Bucky’s face red?” he inquired. Sam and Wanda started laughing all over again, holding onto each other for support. Barnes was fuming as he pushed his way out and stopped next to Steve. 

“She slapped me,” he snarled, jabbing his thumb towards me before continuing on to the meeting. Steve’s eyes got big and stared me down. Oh no, I laid hands on his precious Bucky. I’m in so much trouble. Luckily Wanda came to my rescue. 

“He deserved it,” she started, trying to catch her breath. “I’m sure that Gwen had a perfectly good reason.” I just smiled and walked past them all into the meeting room. I chose a seat furthest away from the door because Steve and Bucky always sit next to the door and I didn’t want to piss Barnes off even more. Everyone else started filing in and Natasha sat to my left and Wanda was on my other side. Tony was about to start when he caught sight of Bucky’s face, which was still red. 

“What happened to your face, Barnes?” When he didn’t get an answer, Tony started in on him. “Too afraid to answer? Didn’t peg you as a scaredy cat, you know, what with your ‘Metal-Arm-Of-Death’ and all.” Bucky was gripping the table hard enough to leave finger marks in it. Sam couldn’t resist being the one to tell the story again, so he jumped at the chance. 

“He’s mad because Gwen bitch-slapped him. Our little Guinevere Adams, resident sweetheart, got fed up with his shit and pimp-slapped him like it was nothing. Girl, I gotta ask, how did it feel?” 

Oh boy. Everyone’s eyes were on me. Nat leaned back in her seat and gave me a once over. I think I might have finally earned her respect, which is something that’s hard-won. Time to own it. 

“Yes I slapped him. He has said some things that hurt me and I’ve had enough. It felt good at the time but now I just feel bad because I don’t normally do things like that. I am sorry for slapping you, Sergeant Barnes, but you had it coming.” Everyone seemed to be impressed with me being able to actually hurt the Winter Soldier. Nat smiled and bowed in a ‘I’m not worthy’ way toward me. Tony shot me two thumbs up and turned back to the hologram screen. 

“So there’s been an attempted kidnapping and we’re being asked to step in and, for lack of a better term, babysit. Elliott and Zoey are the children of two biochemical nuclear engineers who have been ‘recruited’ by HYDRA.” Nat scoffed and Tony stopped to look at her. They shared a look for a brief moment, before he continued. “We’re being led to believe that HYDRA might try to use the kids against their parents.” 

When kids are involved, people tend to get a little uncomfortable and not one person at the table looked happy. Barnes was too busy staring holes into my head from across the table to care, while Steve looked between us as if trying to keep us civil and Sam was silent while he watched with amusement. Natasha and Wanda were looking through pictures of the children on the tablets and Clint and Scott, the only parents on the team, were staring off in a daze, no doubt wondering about their own kids. Vision was looking around at everyone trying to understand the gravity of the situation, but it looked like he couldn’t grasp the humanity necessary to comprehend this. 

“I’m sorry, but why would these children be able to make their parents do anything? They’re just children,” he inquired. Vision may have access to all the world’s data, but regarding human thoughts and emotions, he was a bit daft. I decided to help him out a bit. 

“Vis, try to imagine having someone in your life so precious to you, that if their life was threatened in any way, you would do anything to keep them safe. Now multiply that by infinity. That’s the love of a parent.” I looked at Clint and Scott and they both nodded their heads. Vision took a moment to absorb my words before nodding for me to continue. “Those biochemical nuclear engineers? They could create biological weapons that could decimate cities in a matter of minutes, if the lives of their children were threatened. That’s why those kids are so important. If they are harmed, people could die. We need to keep those kids safe until we find and rescue their parents.” He nodded his head again, taking in everything I said so he could better understand the mission at hand. 

“Geez Gwen, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were a parent yourself,” Clint mused from down the table. I turned towards him and grinned. Tony clapped his hands to call attention back to himself. 

“Someone from the team will have to go undercover and watch over these kids until we can rescue their parents. Any takers?” No one moved. These kind of missions had the potential to end horribly, and no one wanted a piece of that. “Not everyone at once. Clint? Scott?” The dads both shook their heads. One by one people shook their heads no, until… 

“I’ll do it.”


	2. The Fight

“I’ll do it.” Uh oh. Complete silence. Man, I am on a roll today. Clint and Scott were the only ones who looked somewhat impressed with the idea. Everyone else, however…

“No. Absolutely not. No way.” Barnes was beside himself in his anger, slamming his hands on the table. Steve and Sam were watching him with matching puzzled looks, while the rest of the team murmured their agreement with him. Tony waited for Bucky to stop fussing before speaking up.

“Uh, kiddo. You do realize that this is serious right? No one in their right mind would send you to watch over these kids.” He gave me a skeptical look that was shared by Natasha as she leaned in close to me.

“Gwen, you’ve never been on a mission like this. Hell, you’ve never been deep undercover like this. What makes you think you could do it?” She asked me, and I could tell that she was asking as both my trainer and as a confidant. I smiled back at her and then laid it all down.

“I’ve been undercover before. No, not like this, but I can manage. And, what makes me think I can do it? Besides Clint and Scott, who here has actual experience taking care of children?” I looked around the table to see everyone pause and think. “Vision isn’t even human, so I’m certain he doesn’t. Your line of work is more about adults than children, Tony’s too much like a child to actually raise one, Sam’s an only child and Wanda’s just a kid herself.” It’s hard for me to stop when I’m on a roll, so I had to make myself stop to catch my breath before continuing, holding up my hand to indicate I had more to say, so no one would interrupt me. The room held a charged energy but everyone held their peace.

“Barnes is still too scary for adults to be around, let alone kids, and Steve has been a damn ice cube for the past 70 years, and the last time the two of them dealt with children was probably back before World War II. So you tell me, who would you send to take care of two kids who have no idea where their parents are or if they will ever see them again?” I glanced around while the truth of my words sank in. I had this in the bag. No one had experience with kids the way I did. Clint and Scott were my only opposition, but I had a feeling that they would back me up.

“Gwen’s right. She’s the most qualified member for this mission. I’m not leaving my family to take care of another. She’s got my vote. Plus, she’s a damn good cook and is kinda like a mom to us all here.” Clint is on my side and I’m so grateful for it. Nat will side with him too, I bet. “Gwen also has an advantage that we don’t. She’s an unknown agent. When Nat leaked HYDRA/SHIELD’s files, Gwen wasn’t an agent then. Her face isn’t connected to us. Harder to trace her than us.” He shot me a quick grin then turned to Scott. “What do you think Lang? Would you trust Cassie with her?”

Scott studied me, hand on his chin. After a while, he slapped the table.

“I vote yes for Gwen. Clint’s right. She’s virtually unknown and she can handle herself in any situation, which is major when dealing with kids. I’d trust her with Cassie in a heartbeat.” He inclined his head toward me, which made me even happier. I had solid facts and two different parents behind me in this. I turned my attention to Steve, whose opinion mattered more than anyone else’s.

“So what do you think Captain? Am I approved for the mission?” I tried to keep emotion from my voice, appealing to his pragmatic nature.

The blond, who had been silent this whole time, watched me. I could see that he was weighing every possible outcome in his head carefully before making his decision. Finally, after waiting what seemed like an eternity, Steve nodded his head.

“As much as I’m concerned about you not being able to handle this, you are the most qualified member. You’ve got it. Go pack your stuff. I’ll be by with your new name and everything you’ll need while you’re gone.” Steve was the boss, so what he says goes. I was about to give my thanks when Bucky started arguing with him.

“Are you kidding me?! Steve, she’s just a rookie. There’s no way she’ll be able to handle this on her own.” He looked worried, almost terrified, at the thought of me going on this mission, which was strange. “She can’t do this on her own.” Normally I would have given Barnes a piece of my mind, but when Steve held up his hand to stop Bucky’s rant, I held my tongue.

“Buck, stop. Guinevere is going on the mission, end of story. But if you’re so concerned about her, then I’m assigning you as protection. Both of you will cooperate with each other and both of you will be undercover together. Go pack your bags. Now.” The authority in the Captain’s voice was unmistakable. I got up from my seat and all but ran from the room toward the elevator. I was trying to get in by myself, but the car didn’t get there quick enough. Barnes was beside me as the doors opened, so I was trapped with him as we rode up to the living quarters.

I could not believe it; I was going to be stuck with the one person who could get under my skin for the foreseeable future. I was so angry I wanted to cry, but there was no way in hell I’d show that kind of weakness in front of Barnes. The elevator finally got to our floor and I was out the doors before they were fully opened. I got to my door and flung it open so forcefully that it bounced off the wall. I went to slam it shut when a metal hand stopped it.

“Gwen wait. I think we should talk about this so we’re on the same page.” Bucky came into my room and shut the door behind him. I gave him my best Bitch Face but gestured for him to talk. “I swear I had no idea Steve would pair me with you. I know that we don’t exactly get along but-”

“Really? Ya think?” Welp. I tried to let him talk. “What was your problem anyway? I would have been gone for who knows how long and you wouldn’t have had to deal with me. Now we’re going to be stuck with two kids out in God knows where with nothing to do but argue and fight with each other! Thank you for ruining my mission before it even started.” I stormed over to my closet and started looking for my suitcase. It wasn’t in there, so I got down on my hands and knees and looked under my bed.

Apparently, that was something that Barnes enjoyed the sight of.

“Damn doll. I’ve never seen you from this angle before. You look pretty good from back here.” I paused.

Did that bastard just check out my ass? I got out from under the bed and glared at him. Nope, not gonna waste my breath. I set the suitcase on the bed and opened it, checking for spiders, before I went to my dresser and started pulling out clothes.

“What? I just gave you a compliment and you’re not even going to say thanks? I’m trying to be nice here.” He watched me in amusement, sitting on my bed and reclining against the headboard.

I turned and glared at him again, my nostrils flaring. The nerve of this man is incredible.

“Are you kidding me right now? For the first time that I can remember, you gave me a compliment instead of insulting me, and we’re supposed to be all buddy-buddy now? And checking out my ass isn’t really a compliment. It doesn’t count when you think with your dick instead of your brain.” Slamming a dresser drawer shut I yanked another one open, pulling out some pajamas. “That’s not how this works. You have to earn my respect and saying that I have a nice ass isn’t the way to do it.”

I opened my intimates drawer and started to pull out what I felt that I would need. I packed them in my suitcase and went back to the closet. When I came out, Bucky was holding up a pair of my underwear with a surprised look on his face. “Why do you have that? Put it back!” I made to grab them when he held them above his head, out of my reach. “Barnes give them back!” I yelled, jumping in place to try and get them. He laughed and held them higher, clearly enjoying my irritation.

“You know, for such a goodie-two-shoes, you’ve got some naughty little panties. Are these seriously what you wear all the time?” He teased me, lowering them down then yanking them away when I would reach for them. “Will I get to see them on you while we’re playing house? OOF!” I punched him in the stomach and snatched my panties back when he recoiled. Hitting him was like throwing a feather at him though, so he recovered quickly.

He made to grab them but in his haste, he knocked us over onto the floor. I’ve never had 200+ pounds of super soldier on top of me before, but I don’t want it on me again. Bucky must have realized that his entire weight was on me because he rolled to his side. He had ahold of my panties, as did I, so we were on the floor facing each other, trying to pull them out of the other’s hands.

“Barnes, give me my underwear. Now,” I demanded. He wasn’t letting up so I swung my leg over his, straddling him and leaned all of my weight back as far as I could. I looked down and saw that I was sitting on his junk, so I raised up just a bit then dropped my weight on him- not all of it, but enough that he groaned and his grip loosened. It worked like a charm because I was finally able to pull my panties from his grasp. “YES!” I cheered. Barnes wasn’t giving up though, cause the next thing I knew, he had flipped us over and I was back on the floor, his arms caging me in. He was close enough that I could count the freckles dusted across his cheeks and nose and he had the biggest smirk I’ve ever seen and was about to say something when there was a knock on the door.


	3. The Rings

“Gwen? I’ve got your new identity and some of the stuff-” Steve opened the door and stopped, his face going from shocked to smug in a heartbeat. “Now I understand why you were so anxious about Gwen being on her own, Buck,” he snickered, covering his mouth to hide his smirk. I could barely spare him a glance due to Bucky hovering over me. I’m sure I wasn’t helping things, what with my legs currently wrapped around his waist, trying to knock him off balance. Barnes leaned forward until his forehead was touching mine, keeping eye contact the entire time.

“You’re going to have to unhook your legs if you want me to let you up doll. I’m stuck here until you do,” he murmured, looking pointedly around to emphasize his meaning. I quickly disengaged my legs and he sat up, taking my underwear out of my hands and tossing them into my suitcase. He held out a hand and I took it, climbing to my feet and turning to Steve.

“Sorry about that Captain. You said you had what I’m going to need?” I asked. I felt like disappearing into thin air out of embarrassment. I snuck a glance at Bucky out of the corner of my eye and he was looking at the bulletin board over my desk, pretending not to be there. Steve chuckled at us then turned to me with a grin on his face.

“Yes. Buck, it’s good that you’re here too. I have both of your new identities and the information you will need while on your mission. It’s a good thing that you two are so comfortable with each other because the computer spit out a couple. Buck, you’re now Sebastian Stan and Gwen, you’re now Elizabeth Stan.” Steve’s smile had gotten bigger, and it made me want to smack it off his face. He handed me a manilla envelope that was about to bust open. “Here’s the information about Elliott and Zoey, the keys to your vehicle and house, as well as access to money for food and gas for the car. Buck, I mean Sebastian, you better go pack. The quinjet leaves in an hour. Good luck.” He nodded his head at me and Bucky, then left, leaving my door open. I heard him laughing as he got further down the hall. I took a deep breath in through my nose, then turned my attention to Barnes. He was looking after Steve with a look of bewilderment on his face.

“Well, I guess we better finish packing. Let’s meet at the quinjet when we’re done,” I suggested. He blinked a few times then nodded his head. I turned back to my bed and grabbed the clothes I had thrown down in my haste and packed them away. Bucky walked to the door then turned back to me, clearly torn between staying or leaving. I stood there watching him for a moment before going back into my closet. I grabbed a few pairs of jeans and went to walk out, but Barnes was there, leaning against the door jam, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Look, I don’t want there to be any bad blood between us, so I need to clarify something. Earlier, when I said that you weren’t worthy of a one-night stand, I didn’t mean that no guy would take you home, even if it was for one night. I meant that you’re worth more than just one night,” he explained. He paused for a moment, giving me time to digest his words before he took a deep breath and continued. “A woman like you deserves to be a recurring role, not just a guest appearance. A guy like me would never deserve a long-term thing with you, let alone one night. That’s why it bothered me so much when you were dating that Trevor guy.” Whoa. That was unexpected.

“Well, thank you, Bucky, I mean Sebastian. Man, that’s gonna take some getting used to,” I chuckled. I stepped up to him, trying to pass by and finish packing, but he stood there, blocking my way. He was wide enough that I would have to turn sideways to get through the door. But as I went through the door, Bucky grabbed my arm, stopping me. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it and released me. I watched him with curiosity as he turned and left my room, hanging his head.

A while later, I was in the co-pilot seat of the quinjet, waiting for Bucky when he strolled in, suitcase in one hand, and a small box in the other. He stowed his suitcase away before grabbing the box and coming to sit in the pilot’s seat. He began to fire up the quinjet before tossing me the box. “What’s this for?” I asked, shaking it and hearing a rattle. I looked over at him and he was smiling, a blush coloring his cheeks. “James, tell me what’s in the box,” I insisted. He turned towards me and grinned, even more, chuckling at me. 

“Man, hearing ‘James’ come outta your mouth is kinda nice. Too bad I can’t go by that instead. Open it, but be careful not to drop them,” he instructed. Puzzled, I pulled on the lid, trying to open it slowly so the contents didn’t fly everywhere. Once I finally got it open, I was shocked to find three rings inside. One was an all-metal band, silver in color and quite large. Another one was another all-metal band, but this one had three diamonds on it, the center one slightly bigger than the others. The final ring was a dainty silver band with diamonds halfway around it. The diamond rings sparkled in the cockpit lights and I sat there in shock, not understanding why I was holding rings. He sensed my confusion and began explaining. “Since our new identities are married, I figured that we should have rings.” I nodded in agreement because if someone was to stumble upon us, we had to sell that we were happily married, Sebastian and Elizabeth Stan. “And no, I didn’t run out and buy brand new rings. Those are my mom and dad’s rings. I had them on me when I…fell. I got them back after HYDRA was outed and my memories came back. If you swear not to lose them, you can wear my ma’s rings.”

“Oh, Bucky. That’s really sweet, and some smart thinking, but I can’t wear your mom’s rings. I appreciate the offer but I wouldn’t feel right wearing them.” I put the lid back on the box and held it out for him to take, but he shook his head.

“It’s not like I’m actually proposing to you, Gwen. For the next few weeks, months, whatever, you’re technically my wife. This will probably be the closest I get to finding someone to give Ma’s rings to, so, please. Wear them, and wear them with pride.” Bucky pushed the box back toward me, a sad smile on his face. I opened the box back up and took the rings out, handing them to him. Bucky arranged them the right way, then slid them onto my left ring finger. Shockingly, they fit perfectly. I held my hand up for him and he got all teary-eyed. “Wow. Those fit you like a glove. Ma’s rings look amazing on you. I wonder if I’ll even be able to fit Pa’s ring on this hand,” he fretted, looking down at his metal hand. I pulled the band out and held out my hand for his. He placed his left hand in mine, and I slipped the ring over his finger until it would go no more. It fit him just right, blending with the rest of his arm. I looked up and met his eyes, reaching up to wipe tears from his face.

“It looks good on you. I’m sure your parents would be glad that their rings are being worn.” I realized that we had leaned in closer to each other, so I pulled back. I turned back to the front, picking up the manilla envelope and pulling out the paperwork inside. “Ok, so my name’s Elizabeth, remember? Or Mrs. Stan if you’d like.” I winked at him before looking down at the rings again before turning back to the papers. Bucky reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling it to his lips for a few seconds before releasing it.

“Whatever you say, Mrs. Stan. Let’s go play house,” he joked, grabbing the yoke and began to fly the quinjet out of the hangar. Holy shit! He kissed my hand. I’m a goner. I had to blink a few times and take a deep breath before looking out the window. I’ve had a little thing for Bucky since we met, and normally I can squash it down if I needed to, but being stuck with him 24/7 is really going to put my willpower to the test. I don’t want to jeopardize the mission because of a crush. Life is going to be very interesting for a while.


	4. The Arrival

We finally landed in the hangar. I got up and stretched as Bucky powered the quintet down. “I’m gonna grab my suitcase and see if our ride is here,” I called over my shoulder as I walked to the back. I heard him say something, but the back of the quinjet opening drowned him out. I walked down the ramp and saw just one vehicle waiting for us, a blacked out Suburban. “Sah-weet. Dibs on driving!” I sprinted towards it, only to be stopped by the locked door. I yanked on it a few times, just to make sure it was truly locked before I turned to complain. Bucky was walking towards the driver’s door with the key fob in his hand. He held it up and clicked it, unlocking the doors and stowing his luggage in the back before sliding behind the wheel with a smirk. I snorted, stowing my suitcase away as well before climbing in. “I called dibs on driving,” I reminded him, reaching for the keys. He yanked them away before I could grab them.

“You are not driving, doll. Steve told me about your driving, and no way in hell am I getting in a car with you behind the wheel. I’m driving, end of discussion,” Bucky explained with a tone of finality. I flipped him off and begrudgingly buckled my seatbelt. He chuckled before starting the engine and pulling out of the hangar. “You could give me directions so we get there faster,” he suggested after a brief silence. I grabbed my phone and pulled up the map.

 

“Follow this road for about 20 miles. Once we get to town, you’ll want to go all the way through it until you come to a 3-way stop. Then you’ll turn right and follow the road for another 20 miles. This place is in the middle of nowhere,” I instructed. I leaned forward and fiddled with the radio, not wanting to sit through another long silence as we had on the quinjet. I found an oldies station and that made him laugh. When we reached the town, there was so much static that I had to find a new station, and the only music that reached out here was country. We finally got to the 3-way and Bucky reached out and shut the radio off before he turned right.

“We should probably lay down some limits and what we’re comfortable with before the kids arrive,” he started. I raised my eyebrow at him as a silent question before he continued. “We’re married, remember? Married people usually touch and talk all sweet to each other. We should set boundaries of what is and isn’t okay in that respect.” He had a good point. I thought for a moment before I figured out what all I wanted to put off limits.

“Well, hugging is ok. Pet names? Negotiable. Holding hands…iffy. Kissing, well,” I trailed off, debating with how to put into words how I felt about it. “A peck on the cheek or a kiss on the forehead every once in a while shouldn’t be too bad. Full-on kissing on the lips, no. Not only no, but hell no.” Bucky scoffed, before agreeing.

“Fine. Pet names? Like ‘doll’ or ‘sugar’? Well, they don’t really bother me, but I’d rather be called ‘babe’ or ‘honey’. What kind of names do you like? I’ll do my best to commit them to memory,” he promised. I made a mental note to try and call him ‘babe’ (shouldn’t be hard, since he is one) before I gave him a few choices.

“Babe is fine for me too. I was also thinking that Elizabeth might be a mouthful for the kids, so maybe I could go by Ellie. Sebastian might be hard for them too, so maybe they can call you Seb?” I offered, shrugging. Bucky mulled it over for a while before nodding. I looked out the window and saw a cute house off in the distance with a winding driveway leading from it. He slowed down so I could read the number on the side of the mailbox.

“This is it. Driveway’s all gravel, so go slow,” I cautioned. I’d hate for anything to happen to this gorgeous vehicle. Bucky drove along at a slow pace until we got to the house. It was a cute little ranch with a yard and playground out back. We parked the car and got out. Bucky went ahead and checked out the house around the outside before going inside. After a while, he came back out and started unloading our suitcases. I walked inside and was blown away. Everything was updated and brand new. I had a feeling that Tony might have helped deck this place out. Bucky walked by with my suitcase and I followed him towards the bedrooms. One room was decorated in shades of pink and purple, while another was in shades of blue and green. Looks like each kid will have their own room. We walked into the last room and the first thing we noticed was the absolutely huge bed in the middle. The walls were a gorgeous maroon while the bed was done in black and silver.

“How much you wanna bet Stark made the room look like me on purpose?” Bucky snickered, laying my suitcase on the bed. I giggled, as I had thought the same thing. I walked to the bed and opened my suitcase, unpacking my clothes and sticking them in the dresser. He jumped and landed on the bed, laying spread eagle in the middle of it. “Damn this bed is comfortable. I think it might be memory foam. Come check it out Gwen,” he called, snuggling into the bed. I smiled as I walked over and grabbed his suitcase and began to unpack it too. “Hey don’t worry about my stuff, I’ll mess with it later,” Bucky assured me, reaching out to pull the suitcase away.

“No, it’s ok. I can put your clothes away. I’m going to be doing all of the laundry, so it’s not like I won’t be dealing with them anyway,” I objected. I grabbed his socks and underwear and went to put them away. “Boxers huh? I figured you to be a tighty-whitey kind of guy,” I mused, holding up a pair.

“Nah, they’re, uh, too small for me,” he murmured, a blush on his cheeks. Wow, that’s a little TMI, but I did ask for it. Won’t do that again. I folded them back up and put them away. I reached back into his suitcase and grabbed more clothes before he asked me a question. “So what side of the bed do you wanna sleep on doll? Or would you rather snuggle with me at night?” He shot me a Cheshire Cat grin and waggled his eyebrows. I climbed on the bed and sat next to him, leaning back on one hand while I gazed down at him.

“I would prefer if we slept on different sides. I’ve seen how you sleep. You sleep like Thor, all over the place. If you stay on your side, I might not get knocked off like Jane does.” I poked the end of his nose before getting up and finish unpacking his clothes. After that, I checked out the bathroom, which was ginormous and immaculate. I left the room and went to check out the food situation in the kitchen. Empty. “Bucky! We need to go grocery shopping. Grab the keys and let's go!” I heard him groan before reluctantly shuffling out of our room. He hates grocery shopping, but he doesn’t want me driving, so he has to come along.

#

“I am exhausted. I hate grocery shopping with you Bucky,” I groaned as I flopped on the bed. He followed me in and fell on the bed too, his head landing on my stomach. “You sure you don’t want me driving still? Otherwise, you’ll have to drive me to the store every single time,” I taunted. Bucky sat up and began removing his boots.

“You can drive. No ifs, ands, or buts. I will not go with you again,” he conceded. He stood up and removed his shirt before reaching down to undo his belt. I lifted my head up as Bucky shoved his pants down and stepped out of them, standing in nothing but his underwear. I raised my eyebrows at him and he shrugged. “This is what I’m sleeping in. Most of the time I sleep naked, so be glad I’ve still got these on. Now, scoot over.” He grabbed the comforter and sheet and pulled them down, sliding underneath.

I huffed before getting up and trudging to the dresser. I pulled out some pajamas and walked into the bathroom. When I was done, Bucky had already turned off the lights. I slid under the sheet and got comfortable. “Night Bucky,” I whispered. He grunted in response before rolling onto his side away from me. I rolled over on my side as well and sleep came swiftly and easily.


	5. The Arrival Part

I could sense the sunlight through my eyelids. It wasn’t very bright, so it must have been early in the morning. That wasn’t was woke me up though. I was boiling hot, and something hard was jabbing into my back. I reached back and grabbed whatever it was and shoved it, but when I did, two things happened. The first was that Bucky yelped and the second was that I was suddenly cold. My eyes flew open as I rolled over, watching Bucky as he adjusted himself gingerly.

“Sweet Jesus, what was that for?” He croaked, his voice heavy with sleep and pain. I stared at him, trying to figure out what he was talking about when it finally dawned on me. The thing that was poking me was Bucky’s cock, and I had tried to shove it away.

“Oh my god! Are you ok? I am so sorry!” I exclaimed as I began to reach for him. He kept his flesh hand covering his crotch and held up his metal one.

“Just give me a minute. Having my dick squeezed and yanked on is one hell of a way to wake up,” he wheezed, as he rolled to his back and sat up slowly. I got up and ran into the kitchen. I grabbed some ice and shoved it in a sandwich baggie, before wrapping it in a towel and running back to Bucky. I handed it to him and he gladly placed it in his crotch, sighing in relief. “Thanks, babe,” he replied gratefully. I smiled a bit at the ‘babe’ nickname.

“No problem. I didn’t mean to hurt you. It was digging into my back and I honestly didn’t think that it was your…thing. I’m so sorry,” I apologized again. “How about if I cook some breakfast to make up for your rude awakening?” I offered. He nodded and we headed to the kitchen. “I was thinking about biscuits and gravy, eggs, and bacon. How does that sound?” I asked. Bucky’s eyes got really big before he blinked a few times and nodded.

“Yeah, that sounds great. Need me to help with anything?” Buck’s cooking isn’t the best so I didn’t really want him to help. I glanced at him and noticed that he was still in just his underwear. That would not be good for the kids to see.

“No, it’s ok. What I do need is for you to not be such a damn bed hog and stay on your side of the bed!” I laughed at the expression on his face. “And while I’m very grateful that you wore your boxers to bed, I understand why you sleep in the nude. You’re a freaking furnace! I’m glad that I brought warm weather pajamas or else I’d have to sleep in my underwear too. Why don’t you go put on some more clothes just in case the kids arrive while I’m cooking?” As Bucky went back into the bedroom, I opened the fridge, took out the bacon and began to fry it. While the bacon cooked, I mixed up a batch of biscuit dough and portioned it out on a cookie sheet. I was setting the cooked strips on a plate to drain when I felt a warm chest press against my back, as a metal hand reached down and swiped a few strips. “Hey, save some for me!” I chastised him.

“But it’s bacon. I can’t help it,” Bucky whined. I glared at him over my shoulder and he held his hands up in surrender. “Ok fine I’ll stop eating.” He walked over to the counter where I had the biscuits ready to bake. “Are these biscuits made from scratch?” Bucky asked incredulously. I paused from flipping the bacon and looked over at him.

“Well yeah. You really think I would use,” I shuddered before continuing, “store-bought?” I was a bit offended. “In the time that we’ve lived together at the tower and all the times you’ve seen me cook, has anything ever been pre-made?” I asked, standing with my hands on my hips. He quickly shook his head.

“No. I was just surprised is all. I’m not complaining though. To be honest, if I eat nothing but your home cooked food while we’re here, I might actually gain weight,” Bucky joked, sitting down at the bar. I giggled before taking out the last of the bacon and placing it in the microwave to help keep it warm. I got started on the gravy and stuck the biscuits in the oven. Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door. “Stay there. I’ll go check and see who it is,” he instructed, walking to the window and peering outside. “The kids are here,” Bucky stated. He unlocked the door and let the kids and the agents come in.

Agents Starsky and Hutch (yes those were their real names) ushered Elliott and Zoey inside. Elliott was tall for a four-year-old, with dark hair and bright blue eyes. His ears stuck out a tiny bit, which made him even cuter. Zoey stood behind him, clutching a tattered stuffed bunny. She had light brown, almost blonde hair that fell in curls to her waist. She was a tiny little thing, almost like one strong gust of wind could knock her over. I stepped away from the stove and walked over to them. I smiled down at Elliott and introduced myself. “Hi there. My name is Elizabeth, but you can call me Ellie.” I gestured toward Bucky as I introduced him as well. “This is my husband Sebastian. You can call him…Bucky for short.” I figured that having the kids call him ‘Bucky’ would be easier than trying to have them say Sebastian or Seb all the time. Elliott nodded at me before introducing himself as well.

“My name is Elliott and this is my sissy, Zoey,” he mumbled, looking up at me before looking over at Bucky. “Wow! Is that your real arm? Can I touch it?” the little boy exclaimed. Elliott grabbed Bucky’s hand and pulled it to his face to check it out, while Bucky chuckled. I crouched down in front of Zoey and smiled.

“Hi, Zoey. My name is Ellie. Are you hungry?” I asked softly. She nodded slightly as I pointed at her bunny. “I like your bunny. What’s its name?” She squeezed it tighter as if she was afraid I might try to take it. “Would you like to help me finish cooking? I could use a helper.” She bowed her head, shyness overtaking her. I glanced up at the agents for help.

“She doesn’t say much. If she does, it’s only to him,” Hutch replied, pointed at Elliott. “The bunny is named Bun-Bun. Good luck, Ellie. Good luck, Bucky,” she wished us, as she and Starsky left.

I looked back at Zoey, catching her line of sight to the kitchen. “Can I pick you up? Bun-Bun can go too,” I told her as I held my arms out. After a while, she stepped forward, allowing me to lift her up and place her on my hip. “Let’s finish cooking breakfast, then we can eat. Then, after we’re done eating, we can show you all the cool toys we have for you,” I promised. She laid her head on my shoulder and silently watched as I stirred the gravy. Once it was done, I grabbed the eggs out of the fridge and started to crack them one-handedly into a bowl, so I could scramble them before putting them in the frying pan. It was not an easy task, but I was not going to put this little angel down.

“Miss Ellie! Miss Ellie! Isn’t Bucky’s hand cool? I wish I could have one!” Elliott exclaimed.

I looked over my shoulder and caught Bucky’s eye. If only Elliott could understand how a person gets an arm like that. My pained expression showed him my sorrow and I mouthed, 'He’s just a kid.'

Bucky nodded and turned away, taking drinking glasses down from the cabinet.

I finished scooping the eggs out of the pan and put them in a bowl before grabbing plates out of the cabinet and started to fill them with food. The timer went off, meaning the biscuits were done, so I pulled them out and set them down to cool while I finished serving the rest of the food. Bucky came over and grabbed the plates and took them to the table since I only had one hand available. Zoey was checking everything out while I held her on my hip. He came back and grabbed the biscuits and took them as well while I brought the gravy over.

“Wow. Babe, this looks amazing,” Bucky complimented. He dug in and with a mouth full of food, he moaned. “Oh my god, it tastes even better! Damn woman, where did you learn to cook?” He looked like he was floating on a cloud. I was quite pleased with myself that he enjoyed my cooking. Elliott and Zoey were enjoying the food too, judging by the fact that their plates were almost clean. I leaned over the table and gave Bucky the flirtiest smile I could.

“Well, I’ve always been taught that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. So, I’ve devoted myself to learning how to cook anything and everything. Ask, and ye shall receive,” I purred, winking at him. His eyes grew big and he looked uncomfortable. Well, that didn’t go over like I had hoped it would. That was my first and last attempt at trying to flirt with him. Won’t do that again. I looked down at my plate and busied myself with eating. We finished our meal in silence and after we cleared the table, Bucky retreated to our room while I played with the kids. I must have scared him or pissed him off with my feeble attempt at flirting. Geez, this is gonna suck and this mission is going to drag on forever.


	6. The Kids

We settled into a routine after the first few days. Bucky and I always managed to end up in each other’s arms, no matter how much we tried to stay apart, so after about a week, we decided to just start falling asleep together. It was a bit awkward at first, especially after I had manhandled his dick, but we got over it. An unexpected bonus came about from our arrangement though, because Bucky didn’t have a single night terror. That meant we both got sleep. During the day I was the chef and cleaning lady while Bucky was our protector and handyman.

 

Elliott was the mouthpiece for both Zoey and himself. He was always telling me what she did and didn’t like. I was grateful because all I could get out of her was silence followed by her squeezing her bunny. It goes with her everywhere, even into the bathroom. Luckily, I was able to get her to leave Bun-Bun on the counter during potty and bath time.

Elliott loved to play with anyone and anything, while Zoey was content to just sit and watch. It was heartwarming to see Bucky playing with Elliott. They would go outside and play catch, run around and chase each other. They would spend all day outside and wouldn’t come in until they were red in the face. Occasionally I would take Zoey outside and we would watch them.

One day, Bucky was flying Elliott around like an airplane and Elliott was laughing like crazy, as were Bucky and I. Suddenly, Zoey laughed and I froze. She never laughs. The boys were far away, but with his super-soldier hearing, Bucky had heard her too. He set Elliott down and walked over to us, then asked her if she wanted an airplane ride. She nodded and he held his hands out for her. I looked at Bucky and we were both momentarily speechless at this new development. Zoey stood up and reached her tiny hand to his. He cautiously and gingerly picked her up, making sure not to hurt her, and started to fly her around. She laughed and laughed while I watched. Elliott started to chase them around and Bucky pretended to crash the Zoey plane and laid on the ground while the kids ran around him giggling like crazy.

I had begun to notice my feelings for him deepening by then. Seeing him play with both kids made my heart swoon even more and before I knew it, I had fallen in love with him. It was times like this that made me wonder about the future. Like, what it would be like to have my own family.

Growing up, I had a difficult life. The woman who gave birth to me abandoned me moments after I was born. I guess I ruined her life so much that she literally threw me into a trash can with my placenta and umbilical cord still attached. Luckily, the trash can was just outside of an orphanage and one of the owners was throwing away some garbage when she opened the lid and found me. She almost didn’t find me though. She was going to wait until morning to toss her trash and had she waited, I wouldn’t be here right now. She called 911 and I was taken to the hospital to be checked out. I was perfectly healthy, just a little cold and hungry. Since no one came forward to claim me, I was given to the Adams, the couple who owned the orphanage. They were an older couple who never had children of their own, which is why they opened the orphanage. I was the only child to be left there with no name, so they took me as their own. They told me everything when I turned 18, figuring that I could understand and process it easier.

Now, I’ve called them Mom and Dad my whole life, so finding out that I had literally been thrown away like a piece of trash cut me deep. At first, I felt betrayed by everyone. My sorry excuse of a birth mother; for tossing me in a trashcan to die, and by my mom and dad for keeping this hidden from me. I struck out on my own in anger for a year, until I came to understand why the Adams had kept mum about everything. I came home to them both sick on their death beds. I was able to apologize before they passed away within hours of each other. Luckily, there were no more children at the orphanage, so it was shut down and destroyed, while I inherited a small fortune. I traveled the country for the next two years until I settled in New York. I helped Wanda and Clint out of a tight spot at a coffee shop, and I had been part of the team ever since.

I’ve always wondered if my biological mother was out there somewhere, or if she ever thought about me at all. Part of me wanted to take Stark up on his offer to find her, but part of me was content with my lot in life. I’m certain that I probably would have had a terrible, and short, life if she had kept me. One thing is for sure, if I am able to conceive my own children, I will never throw them away like trash. They will know how much they are loved and wanted. They will never grow up feeling like they are a burden.


	7. The Valentine

“Time to wake up sleepy head,” a far too cheerful voice whispered in my ear. I opened my eyes and saw Bucky laying next to me in bed. He was smiling so wide it made my face hurt. He knows I’m not a morning person, and that if I’m woken up too early, I’m to be approached like an angry tiger. I rolled over and checked the time before turning back to him.

“Is there any particular reason why my slumber has been disturbed before 6 a.m.?” I growled at him, letting my irritation with him sink into my very bones. He sat up and bounced, literally BOUNCED, on the bed a few times before he explained his good mood.

“Well, it would appear to be both your birthday AND Valentine’s Day. The kids and I can’t wait to spoil you rotten today!” He was almost shaking with how excited he was. There was a small kink in his plan though.

“Uh, no. My birthday isn’t for another seven months. And I hate Valentine’s Day. I never have anyone to celebrate it with. Now, let me go back to sleep.” I grabbed his pillow and pulled it over my head and rolled onto my stomach. I felt the bed move and the pillow disappear before I felt him press against my back and his lips were at my ear.

“It’s your birthday, _Elizabeth_. We’re going to celebrate it today because the kids will be very upset if you don’t eat the birthday and valentine cake they made you,” Bucky insisted. I rolled over, which was hard to do when you have a super soldier smushing you into the bed, and looked up at him skeptically. “What if I told you that I bought alcohol for tonight after the kids go to sleep? Would that make it any better?”

Oh god. Alcohol, no brain-to-mouth filter, and a raging hard-on for Bucky? No thank you.

I shook my head at him and was about to tell him where to stick the booze when he spoke again. “You won’t lift a finger today. We’re going to wait on you hand and foot. Today is all about you. Please?”

The offer was very tempting, and it would kill me to disappoint the kids. I must have been taking too long to make a decision, because the next thing I knew, Bucky was giving me that look. Now I understand why he was such a ladies’ man back in the day. That face was killing me. “Puppy dog eyes? Are you kidding me right now? Ok fine. I expect to be pampered like its going out of style, _Sebastian_ ,” I teased, giving in. He jumped off the bed, punching the air.

“Oh, babe. I promise you, you’re going to have the best day ever!”

#

Worst. Day. Ever. I collapsed onto the bed, letting my purse fall to the floor at my feet. I could hear Elliott talking to Bucky out in the hall. I turned and saw them enter the room and approach the bed. They looked so sad after the day’s events, but it wasn’t their fault it all went to hell today.

“Sorry, you had to go to the hopsical, Miss Ellie. We didn’t mean to make you sick,” Elliott apologized. Zoey nodded along with him, holding her stuffed bunny out to me. “Zoey wants you to sleep with Bun-Bun so you can feel better.” I smiled at them, sitting up so I could talk to them better.

“It’s ok you guys. Thanks for letting me sleep with Bun-Bun, but I think he should sleep with you, Zoey. I’m going to lay down for a little bit. Its past your bedtime, so Bucky is going to put you in bed ok? Good night and I’ll see you in the morning.” Elliott and Zoey hugged me then left and headed to their rooms to get their pajamas on. Bucky kissed the top of my head before leaving to put the kids in bed. I flopped back down and shut my eyes, thinking about what a disaster this day has been.

The day started off decently. The kids brought me breakfast in bed, cooked by Bucky. Eggs, bacon, perfectly toasted toast with butter and jelly, and a glass of milk. I ate everything, which was surprising because Bucky’s food isn’t normally all that edible. Then we all sat and watched movies all morning long. Lunch time came and it was pizza, followed by a Valentine’s cake. That’s when the day went bad. Elliott told Bucky to feed me the cake, but my eyes needed to be closed because the cake had a surprise in it, and I had to guess what it was. So, I obliged the kids their wish and closed my eyes and opened my mouth so Bucky could feed me. I couldn’t smell it, but there was something that I couldn’t place. He had fed me a few more bites before I finally got a taste of the surprise. My eyes had popped open so fast it startled Bucky. I had asked what was in the cake and he told me it was a cherry flavored cake with strawberry pieces mixed in. My jaw had dropped open in shock and my heart skipped a few beats.

Strawberry. The one thing that I’m allergic to. Everything seemed to zoom by from that point on. It had taken Bucky a few seconds to understand why I was starting to swell up, but when it hit him, he flew into action. He carried me to the car and strapped me in, then got the kids buckled in. The car ride to the hospital was tense, what with Bucky going from being calm for the kids to being irritated with me for not having my Epi-Pen to being contrite for yelling at me. He screeched to a stop outside the hospital entrance and all but teleported inside before returning with a nurse and wheelchair. The nurse helped me into the chair while he got the kids out. He stayed with them while I was admitted and assessed. We had a SHIELD physician there, so they were aware of our cover. They apparently kicked him out, so he took the little ones out for dinner. By the time the three of them returned, I was released and ready to go home.

Bucky must have walked back into the room because I heard a clinking sound and something being placed on the side table and felt the bed dip as he laid down next to me. I looked over at him and sighed. “You feeling ok babe?” he inquired. He’s taken to calling me babe the past few weeks and I’ve grown so used to it that it makes me smile. I nodded at him, rolling onto my side so I could see him better. He reached out and brushed some hair behind my ear, his metal hand caressing my cheek in such a tender fashion I almost melted. “I’m glad you’re ok. I was so worried about you earlier.” Bucky looked so guilty and was blaming himself for everything.

“Bucky it’s ok. It was an accident, accidents happen. You can’t change that it happened, but what you can do, is get me a glass of whatever alcohol you bought, so I can try to salvage the night,” I suggested. He looked down at me and grinned, rolling over to grab the bottle and glasses off the table. “You brought me vodka and Pepsi? How on earth did I get so lucky?” I was astonished that he knew my go-to drink at the bar. We’ve never had a drink together, so I had a feeling that Wanda must have tipped him off. He filled our glasses then handed me mine and held his up.

“Happy Valentine’s day babe. Here’s to next year’s being a lot better,” Bucky toasted. I clinked my drink with his and downed it. “Whoa. Easy babe. Don’t wanna get sick do you?” he chastised me. After a day like today, I needed a good buzz, and I know my limits. Three of these and I’m good. I got up and made myself another before returning to the bed.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ve got this,” I assured him. He looked at me skeptically but didn’t push the issue. I drained half of my drink before I asked him the question that I’ve been dying to ask him all night. “Bucky, why were you so upset at the hospital?” He choked on his drink, so I waited until he was ok before I continued. “The nurses told me that you were getting rude with them and that they had to throw you out. Is that true?” I asked him. He took a long drink from his glass before turning to me.

“I was upset because they wouldn’t let back to see you. I was worried sick about you and even though I was just your teammate to them, you mean a lot to me and -” Bucky stopped suddenly, his mouth agape.

It took a while for my brain to catch up with what he had said. I mean a lot to him? He polished off his drink and got up to make himself another. “Would you like a refill?” he offered, reaching for my glass. I emptied it before handing it to him and watched while he made us new drinks. He brought our drinks back and sat back down on the bed. I raised an eyebrow at him, letting him know that I was waiting for him to finish his answer. “I’ve had feelings for you since we met.” I drank for a little bit while I took in his confession. “You’re such an amazing person and you’ve always treated me like a normal person, and not a monster. I understand if you don’t feel the same way but I wanted you to kn-” Bucky couldn’t finish his sentence because I was too busy kissing him. To hear that he felt the same way that I did was the best feeling ever. I threw my arms around his neck while his arms went around me, pulling me onto his lap. I pulled back to look at him and to answer his silent question.

“I have feelings for you too.” I looked him in the eyes for a moment before he smiled and began kissing me again. Bucky rolled us over so I was on my back and he was hovering over me. His metal hand went up my shirt while I fisted my hands in his hair. I guess he was feeling over dressed because he sat back on his heels and pulled his shirt over his head, then reached down and grabbed the hem of mine and pulled it over my head. Everything was a blur after that because the next thing I knew, it was morning.


	8. The Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS NSFW! 18 AND OLDER PLEASE!

The first thing I realized when I woke up was that I was naked. The second thing was that someone was in bed with me, and there was only be one person it could be. I turned my head, noting the horrendous headache that was forming, and saw him. Bucky was laying on his side facing me, smiling. From what I could see, he had no shirt on, and I was about 99% sure he had nothing on under the bedsheet either. He reached out to brush some hair behind my ear and I jerked back, pulling my half of the sheet up to my chin.

“What the fuck?” was the first thing out of my mouth. “Please tell me we didn’t do what I think we did,” I begged, hoping that I was dreaming.

 

He chuckled at me, which didn’t sit well. I racked my brain trying to remember anything from last night, but all I got were fuzzy images; us drinking, him telling me that he has feelings for me, me kissing him, clothes being removed. I groaned, hiding behind my hands, realizing that we did, in fact, sleep together. I peeked at him through my fingers and he was still watching me, an amused smile on his infuriatingly handsome face.

“That bad huh? Look, it wasn’t that great for me either. We had to find each other’s rhythm and you were kinda drunk, but no big deal. There’s always next time,” he assured me. He pulled my hands away and leaned up on one elbow to see my face before continuing. “We can go again right now if you wanted,” he teased, waggling his eyebrows.

I pushed him away and sat up, making sure to keep the sheet covering me. It wasn’t that great? Bucky had sat up too, his half of the sheet dangerously low, revealing his happy trail and where it led. I turned away, not wanting to see him, and fell out of the bed. I grabbed the first thing I could, which was his shirt, and yanked it over my head, just as he was peering over the side of the bed. “You ok?” he asked, concerned that I had fallen. I stood and walked to the dresser and started to grab some clothes to change into. I could feel tears starting to come on and I didn’t want to cry in front of him. “What’s wrong?” He sounded worried, which irritated me. Traitor tears began to fall, even though I willed them not to, but he could hear them in my voice.

“What’s wrong is that I don’t remember much from last night, but you remember everything. What’s wrong is that even though it happened over 70 years ago, you remember your first time, but I don’t. And to make it even worse, you didn’t enjoy last night, and I have to live with that.” I stopped to catch my breath and wipe the tears away. I turned towards him and his mouth was open. “I’m getting in the shower and I would appreciate it if you had clothes on when I get out. I’ll give the shirt back after I’m done.” I ran into the bathroom and slammed the door before he could say anything. I got the water running and shucked Bucky’s shirt so I could check out my body while the water warmed up.

At first, I looked the same, but after the tears stopped for a moment, I saw purple bruises all over my neck and chest. Bucky apparently was a fan of hickies. My arm had bruises from where the IV had been and the failed attempts to tap my veins. My head was now pounding, and I was sore in places I’ve never felt before. I try again to remember anything, but I can’t. I’m suddenly sick of looking at myself, so I get in the shower and sink to the floor. I cry until I no longer have tears, then I get up and clean myself in record time. When I enter the bedroom, Bucky is nowhere to be found, but the bed is made and our clothes are in the hamper. I leave the room to get the kids when I hear them laughing along with Bucky. I walk into the kitchen and he’s making them laugh by pulling silly faces, but once he sees me, he freezes, eyes growing wide. Elliott turns and spies me and jumps off his chair to throw his arms around me.

“Miss Ellie you’re awake! Are you feeling better?” Elliott is watching me with a smile on his face. I smile and nod at him, then he squeezes me tight and runs back to the table. “Look, Miss Ellie, Bucky made us breakfast so you didn’t have to. He said you still feel bad from yesterday so he’s going to take us to the park for the whole day!” I raise my eyebrows at him, then look over at Bucky to confirm. He gives me a sad smile and nods.

“Well, I figured you would like some alone time, so I decided to take them out for the day. And, since I kept you up last night, you probably don’t want me here anyway.” He looked so hurt after that last comment, and I almost said something but thought better of it since the kids were there. He stood up and walked to the counter and picked up a plate loaded with fruit and handed it to me. “No strawberries. I double and triple checked for you. I don’t want you hurt again,” he murmured, stepping in close to me. I took the plate and he hesitantly put his arms around me, giving me time to say no or pull away, before hugging me. “I’m so sorry about what I said earlier and what happened last night. I’ll make it right I swear,” he whispered. I patted his back then pulled away.

“You guys have fun at the park. I’ll be here relaxing when you get back,” I dismissed them. Elliott and Zoey both sprang from the table to grab their jackets and shoes. Bucky went and grabbed his jacket before waving at me and following the kids out the door. I watched through the window as he helped them into the car and buckled them in before pulling out of the driveway.

#

“Bucky, please. Can I go to the bedroom now? I want to get ready for bed.” I was sitting on the couch apparently being banned from our bedroom. Bucky and the kids had come back with a bunch of bags that he took straight into our room and he had forbidden me from going in until he said otherwise. I heard the door open and shut and turned toward it when I saw Bucky sheepishly walking toward me. He was wearing a dress shirt and jeans and had his hair slicked back. His hands were behind him and when he got to me, he produced a bouquet of white lilies and handed them to me. “Lilies? My favorite! How did you know?” I gushed, burying my nose in them to inhale their scent. “Thank you. No one’s ever given me flowers before.” Bucky grinned at me for a moment before offering me his hand.

“Shall we?” he asked. I studied him for a bit before I gave in to my curiosity and took his hand. He led me into the bedroom where he had dozens of lit candles and soft music playing in the background. I felt my jaw drop in awe as I glanced around. It was so intimate and romantic that it took my breath away. I felt Bucky’s eyes on me, waiting for my reaction, so I turned to him. “Do you like it? This was actually how last night was supposed to go. No hospitals, no brushes with death, no sex, just you and me dancing the night away,” he explained.

I was shocked. Sex wasn’t on the brain for him last night? He chuckled at me, and I realized I must have said that out loud. “No, sex wasn’t part of the plan last night. I just wanted to spend Valentine’s Day with you. I had planned on telling you how I felt about you though.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Listen, what I said earlier was harsh. I feel terrible that your first time was a drunken disaster that you can’t remember. I had no idea, and I’d give anything to fix it.” He looked so guilty like everything had been his fault. I looked around at all he had done to the room and it suddenly hit me.

“Bucky, you can fix it. This room looks incredible. Candles, music, my favorite flowers,” I looked around, gesturing to everything. “Let’s make this our first time. Well, technically it would be our second time, but to me, it’ll be the first time that I remember.” I walked up to him and put my arms around his neck. “Make love to me, Bucky.”

Those were evidently the magic words because his lips were on mine and his arms wound around my back. I slid my tongue across his lips before they parted and we deepened the kiss. I felt his hands glide gently down my sides before cupping me under my butt and lifting me in the air. I squealed before wrapping my legs around his waist and burying my face in his hair. He walked toward the bed, covering my neck and collarbone in open-mouthed kisses until he set me down on the bed. I looked at him, taking off my cardigan while he watched me hungrily. He climbed slowly up my body, the smoldering look he gave me was so intense I’m surprised I didn’t catch fire. Bucky stopped when he was level with me and started to unbutton his shirt. I swatted his hands away and undid them in record time, sliding the shirt off his arms and throwing it. His torso would make Adonis green with envy, and his left arm was sexier than ever.

I went to take my tank top off when he stopped me, grabbing my wrists. “Are you sure you want this?” He asked, meeting my eyes with his. I thought for a moment then answered. “Yes, I do. I want this. I want you.” Satisfied with my answer he released my hands and I pulled my tank over my head. I reached behind to undo my bra when he grabbed the cups and ripped it in half. “I’ll buy you a new one,” he promised, capturing a nipple in his mouth. I gasped as he licked and sucked the nub, coaxing it to a hardened peak. His metal hand went to work on the other breast, kneading and pinching the supple flesh. I threw my head back and moaned, snaking my hands into his hair and pulling the strands in time with my pleasure.

“Bucky that feels - oh fuck that feels so good,” I groaned as he switched to the other breast, repeating his actions from before. He chuckled darkly, using his teeth to leave new marks on my skin.

“You are mine,” he growled. He pushed me until I was on my back before he stood up and undid his belt and jeans. He pushed them down, along with his underwear, and kicked them off to the side. I caught sight of his thick cock, standing at attention for me. My eyes went wide at the thought of it being inside me and I started to tremble. Bucky noticed my line of sight and laughed. “Yes, it fits. It’s a tight fit, but I’m going to help you with that.” He reached for my jeans and began to undo them. “I’ve been wondering what you would taste like. May I?” He gestured to my panties as he pulled my jeans off my legs. I was rather fond of these so I yanked them off so he wouldn’t rip them.

He chuckled then climbed back onto the bed and nudged my legs apart, laying down with his face inches from my core. Bucky looked up at me with a smirk before kissing and nipping at the inside of my thighs. Suddenly he licked a stripe up my folds to my clit and I moaned. He repeated that a few more times before slowly latching onto my clit and began sucking. I arched my back and my hands wound into his hair and pulled. “Oh god, Bucky. Unf, that feels so g-” I froze as I felt his teeth nip gently on my clit, then he was teasing his tongue at my entrance. I looked down and our eyes met as he began to fuck me with his tongue. I could feel a coil starting to build in my lower region when he stopped and climbed up to kiss me. I could taste myself until he pulled away, panting.

“Gwen I can’t do this anymore. I need to be inside you. Are you ready?” Bucky’s eyes were so lust-blown they were black. I nodded and he kissed me again before he reached down to rub himself between my folds to catch my fluids before lining up with my entrance. I could feel the head of his cock push in ever so slightly before he stopped. “If anything hurts or doesn’t feel right, tell me. I don’t want you hurting because of me, ok?” Bucky was hovering over me, not moving as he waited for my consent.

I nodded at him. “I’m ready. Just be gentle ok?” I urged, reaching up to brush his hair back from his face. He leaned down and captured my lips in a tender kiss before slowly pushing into me. It was a tight fit, but not as painful as I thought it would be. He stopped when he was completely ensheathed, waiting for me to adjust to his size before he began to slowly pull back and thrust forward, watching my face at all times for any sign of discomfort or pain. I winced a few times at first, the feeling foreign, but as he kept going, it began to feel better. Bucky leaned back a bit and the change in angle had his cock graze a sensitive spot that made me cry out. “Oh god!” He grinned as he snapped his hips forward a little harder and hit that spot again. “Yes! Right there!” The coil in my lower region started to grow again as he started to thrust harder and faster. “Oh god. Yes Bucky, yes!” He pulled back to look at me with a look of wonder as he slowed his hips.

“Call me James,” he said. I was confused as to why he would have such a request when he explained. “You called me James last night, and it was the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard, and I want to hear it again.” He smiled at me before leaning down to kiss along the side of my neck. He began to thrust harder again, hitting my sweet spot repeatedly, making me cry out in pleasure.

“Oh god, James yes! Right there! I’m so close!” I opened my eyes, which I didn’t realize I had shut, to see him looking at me with a crazed look in his eyes. Bucky sped up, pounding me into the bed as I dug my nails into his back, holding on as he hit that spot one last time and I came with his name on my lips. “James!” I gasped, as I held on while he slammed into me a few more times, coating my walls with his come.

“Gwen,” Bucky groaned, as he came down from his high. Hearing my name on his lips was amazing. He kissed me again, being careful to not put all of his weight on me. I put my arms around his neck and smiled into the kiss. He slid to his side, pulling me with him as we laid in each other’s arms, basking in our post-sex bliss. “So…how was that for a first time?” Bucky asked after a brief silence. I peeked up at him with a grin.

“It was incredible. Thank you. Was it better for you this time around?” I had to know. He kissed me again, his metal hand snaking into my hair before ghosting down to hold my cheek.

“It was because you’ll remember it this time. And hearing you call me ‘James’ tonight was even better than last night.” He looked up at the ceiling for a while after that, seemingly asleep, so I closed my eyes and snuggled into the crook between his shoulder and neck and began to drift off. “Babe,” I heard suddenly. I went ‘hmm’ to let him know I was listening. “Since we both admitted to having feelings for one another, and I’m the only guy you been with, and I don’t want to be with any other woman except you, would it be ok for me to ask if you’d be my girlfriend?” I opened my eyes, looking up at him in shock.

“You don’t want to be with other women? Why?” I asked, taken back by this admission. He wants me to be his girlfriend? Why me? Bucky sat up before turning to look down at me, taking my hands in his.

“Gwen, you’re the only woman I’ve ever met that didn’t run in fear when you found out my past. Those other women were either too stupid to care or too terrified to stay. You’ve helped me adjust to everyday life and you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.” I scoffed at that, but he silenced me with a look before continuing. “When Steve assigned me to protect you, I realized that he had an ulterior motive. He wanted to force me to finally tell you how I feel, how I’ve felt since the day we met.” I sat up to face him, awestruck by his confession. “You mean the world to me. Would you be my girlfriend?” I couldn’t believe I had been the girl he was after the whole time. There was really only one thing to say to him.

“Yes.” He pulled me onto his lap, squeezing me tight. I pulled back to look at him, and he was glowing. I yawned, trying to disguise it as a cough, but he wasn’t fooled.

“C’mon doll. Let’s go to bed. I finally get to fall asleep with you in my arms knowing that you’re my girl. Sweet dreams babe,” he mumbled as he laid us back down and covered us with the blankets. I fell asleep almost instantly, absolutely elated that I finally had Bucky Barnes as mine.


	9. The After Effects

When I woke up the next morning, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming being naked in Bucky’s arms. I couldn’t believe it. Last night really did happen and I was finally dating Bucky Barnes. I am the luckiest woman alive.

Life definitely picked up once Bucky and I became an actual couple. Instead of putting on an act to be all lovey-dovey with each other, we could be sincere in our actions. We could kiss anywhere and anytime we wanted, and we did. Holding hands, hugging, playful smacks on the ass, none of it was for pretend anymore. And, since sex was no longer off limits, we became even closer as a couple, literally and emotionally.

I also noticed that since we were actually together, we were more affectionate with Elliott and Zoey. We became a little makeshift family. We never had the kids call us ‘mom’ or ‘dad’ but Bucky and I both treated them as if they were ours.

A couple weeks after Valentine’s Day, we decided to go for a picnic in the town park. We packed plenty of food, drinks, and toys so we could spend the whole afternoon there and have dinner under a sunset. At first, everything seemed to go perfectly. Bucky and Elliott chased each other around a bit, Elliott clearly beating Bucky in their many races. Bucky came and sat down with Zoey while I chased Elliott around for a while as well. Then we all sat down and ate dinner, which was so sweet.

For a moment, it felt like we were a real family and it gave me hope for Bucky and me to have our own family someday. Though he was upset that the serum and electroshock treatments had ruined his chances of having any biological children, Bucky said that we could always adopt. With my history with never being adopted, I had always wanted my own family. But if adoption was the only way Bucky and I could have kids, then I was all for it. Plus side to Bucky not being able to sire any children, we didn’t have to use any kind of protection, which we were perfectly fine with.

After we were done eating, Elliott and Bucky were running around chasing each other again when Elliott decided he was going to climb a tree before we left. He got a little too high and started to get scared. Bucky came to the rescue and got him out. Elliott was smitten from that point on.

“Miss Ellie, did you see? Mr. Bucky got me out of the tree! He is so cool!” he exclaimed, running across the ground toward me. Bucky was walking behind him, laughing. Elliott then took off to the swing set, causing Bucky to groan.

“This kid is gonna wear me out,” he chuckled. Zoey got up and grabbed his hand as he was about to head to the swings. Bucky stopped and looked down at her, his eyes wide. She pointed at the swings and tugged on his hand. “Do you want to go on the swings too, Zoey?” he asked softly, crouching down in front of her. She nodded shyly, flashing the most impressive puppy-dog eyes I’ve ever seen. I have never seen a grown man melt before, but I’m pretty sure that he did right there and then. “Can I carry you?” he crooned, holding his hands out to her. She stepped into his arms and he gently stood up and walked to the swings. Zoey put her arms around Bucky’s neck and laid her head on his shoulder and I knew from that moment on, she had him wrapped around her finger. He sat her down and started pushing her before reaching over and pushing Elliott as well. The kids started to laugh and soon Bucky joined them. I sat and watched them, swooning. It was the sexiest thing ever to see him playing with the kids.

Suddenly, the sky opened up and poured all over us. I scrambled to pack everything up while Bucky ran to put the kids in the Suburban before he came back and helped me. We were running to the Suburban when I slipped and fell into a big mud puddle. Bucky grabbed the bags in one hand and helped me up with the other, so by the time we had finally climbed into the car, Bucky was soaked and I was absolutely filthy. Elliott and Zoey were wet too, but not as wet as us. We drove home, shivering while we waited for the car to warm up. When we pulled into the garage, the kids and I rushed inside and I got the kids into some dry clothes while Bucky unloaded everything. Both kids were exhausted, so I put them to bed.

“Babe? Where are you?” I called out, looking for Bucky. I heard our shower running and I was a little perturbed. I was going to get in the shower too, but now I have to wait even longer, in these dirty clothes, since he beat me to it. I stomped into our room and caught him in the middle of taking his clothes off.

“Hey,” he said, muffled by his shirt as he pulled it off. I glared at him while I started to take my own clothes off. “So I was thinking, we could save water and shower together. Or you could go first and I’ll jump in after you get out. Up to you, but just to let you know, it is incredibly sexy to see you all wet. It was super hard to keep my hands to myself in the car.” He came up behind me, the bulge poking into my back adding emphasis to his statement. Well then, looks like we’re on the same page. I turned and started walking him backward toward the bed, pushing him back when he sat down and climbing onto his lap.

“I have to admit, seeing you play with the kids all day has me so hot for you. I don’t know how to explain it. But honey,” I purred, leaning down to whisper into Bucky’s ear, “I hail from the great state of Missouri. I can show you a hell of a lot better than I can tell you.” With that, I slid off his lap, finished taking off the remainder of my clothes, and walked into the bathroom. I got in the shower and washed the mud out of my hair. I was rinsing the conditioner out when I felt Bucky get in behind me.


	10. The Shower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS NSFW! 18 AND OLDER PLEASE!

Bucky pressed up against me, his cock rubbing my ass, as he wrapped his arms around my waist. “Sorry, I’m from Brooklyn. I didn’t get the Missouri thing at all,” he murmured against the shell of my ear. I turned in his arms and placed a kiss against his neck.

“Missouri is the Show Me State,” I explained, leaving trails of kisses down his chest as I sank to my knees. “We show, not tell,” I breathed as I took him into my mouth. I swirled my tongue around his tip, making sure to give attention to the sensitive spot underneath. I peeked up at him through my eyelashes, taking him as deep into my throat as possible. His eyes were hooded, his hands coming down to rest on either side of my head. I began to bob up and down his length, using my hands to cover what my mouth couldn’t fit.

“Damn doll. You look so good with your lips wrapped around my cock,” Bucky praised. He laced his fingers into my hair and began to slowly thrust back and forth into my mouth. I relaxed as much as I could so he was able to bump the back of my throat. His head fell back as he moaned at the feeling of going that deep. I reached up and began to massage his balls, earning another moan from him. I was moving my other hand down my body to rub my clit when Bucky pulled himself from my mouth and yanked me to my feet. “Uh-uh. I want you coming on my cock, not your fingers, doll,” he growled as he grabbed me under my ass and hoisted me up and sliding me down onto his dick in one motion. We both groaned in the most obscene way at the feeling. “Fuck darlin’. Being inside you is the closest I’m ever gonna get to heaven,” he whispered in my ear as he started to pound into me, my back against the glass. 

“Fuck Bucky, your cock feels so fucking good,” I moaned, my head falling back and hitting the glass with every thrust from him. Running water and skin slapping against skin were the only sounds coming from the bathroom, occasionally punctuated by our moans. Suddenly, I could feel the glass begin to break behind me. “What the fu-Oh!” I sputtered as Bucky whirled me around and began to fuck me against the stone wall. I heard the glass shatter as it fell and hit the floor. “Oh my god!” I cried out as Bucky’s thrusts became stronger. Evidently, he’s been holding out on me. I started hearing a cracking sound, but I wasn’t too worried about it, as I could feel my orgasm coming. “Oh fuck! Bucky I’m so close!” I yelled as he reached between us and began to rub my clit, his metal hand digging into my hip.

“Come for me baby,” Bucky commanded, biting down on the spot where my neck met my shoulder. I felt my orgasm rip through me like a bolt of lightning at his actions. My eyes rolled into the back of my head, riding out my high, while he slammed into me with a grueling pace until he came, coating my walls with his release. We stayed there, panting, as we came down from our shared ecstasy. He recovered first, cradling me against his chest as he walked into our room and laid me on our bed before laying next to me and covering us with the blankets. We sat there for a while as we caught our breath and our hearts slowed down, Bucky playing with my hair and I with his chest hair.

“Wow. Just wow. That was incredible,” I mumbled in a daze. I felt his laugh rumble in his chest so I lifted my head to grin at him. “We broke the glass. We’re gonna be in so much trouble when Stark finds out,” I giggled. He shot me a wolfish smile before leaning forward to kiss the tip of my nose.

“Wait until he sees the stone wall with your imprint in it,” he snickered, moving to lean against the headboard, the smuggest look on his face. I sat up in shock, glancing toward the bathroom and then back at him.

“Is that what that cracking sound was? The stone breaking?” I asked, grinning when he nodded. “Holy shit. That’s so fucking hot.” I climbed onto his lap and kissed him, wrapping my arms around his neck. I sat there, deciding to finally tell Bucky something I’ve been wanting to tell him. “I love you, James Barnes.” His eyes grew wide for a moment before a breathtaking smile broke out across his face. He captured my lips in a searing embrace as he rolled me to my back.

We broke apart when it was hard to breathe, and as we struggled to catch our breath, Bucky whispered, “I love you too.” I could feel him stiffen against my leg, signaling he was ready for round two. He placed his forehead against mine as he reached down to rub himself against my folds before pushing in slowly. I was still sensitive from the shower, so when I winced, he paused to give me time to adjust. Once he was fully inside me, he stopped again to give any discomfort time to pass before he started to rut against me.

Bucky kept his eyes on me, setting a slow pace with deep thrusts that allowed me to feel him so far inside me. Our round in the shower was pure lust, whereas this time around was passionate lovemaking. We kissed every inch of skin we could reach, but his lips had found their favorite spot right under my ear. I could feel another orgasm building and by the way Bucky sped up, his was quickly approaching too. “James I’m so close,” I warned.

He kissed me quickly before changing his angle and hitting that special spot. “I’m almost there too babe,” he panted, trying to speed up his end. Bucky’s thrusts began to falter as he found his release. “Come for me,” he urged, my name a chant falling from his mouth. “Gwen, Gwen, Gwen!” I let go of the tension and followed him into euphoria as I came with his name on my lips.


	11. The Betrayal

Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. My alarm was going off. I shut it off and slowly slid out of bed, careful not to disturb Bucky. It was his birthday, and I wanted to surprise him with breakfast in bed like he did for me. I tiptoed out of our room and into the kitchen. I didn’t want the kids up just yet, so I quietly got started on breakfast so I could be done before Bucky woke up. 

After I was done, I put the food onto a tray and carried it into our room. Bucky was just waking up as I walked in. “Good morning birthday boy!” I sang as I set the tray across his lap. He flashed me a small smile as he sat up.

“Oh wow. Sausage, biscuits, gravy, bacon, eggs, and hash browns. You outdid yourself, babe. Thanks,” he murmured, picking up his utensils and starting to eat. He didn’t seem to be too enthusiastic that I cooked all this food for him. I watched him for a bit before I had to say something. His mouth was so full his cheeks were puffed out, so I waited for him to swallow what he had before I asked what was wrong. 

“You don’t seem to be enjoying breakfast. You ok?” I was worried that I had messed something up. He glanced up at me in surprise before shaking his head. 

“No, breakfast is good. It’s incredible as always. I just…” he trailed off, looking away. He paused for a moment before continuing. “I’m not really in the mood to celebrate my birthday today. It’s just too heartbreaking to think of all the years I’ve missed and how I’ve literally been on this earth for 100 years.” I felt terrible. I never thought about it like that. I don’t blame him though.

“Oh. Well, that’s understandable. Um, I called in a favor and got Thor to send some Asgardian liquor for you. If you want, you can have it as a ‘just because’ gift. I’ll even take off the birthday wrapping paper so it doesn’t bother you,” I offered, floundering. The last thing I wanted was to upset him, but now my plans for today have to be scrapped.

“Ok sure. I was thinking that I would just go to town for the day. You know, just to be alone. I don’t want my sour mood to disturb you,” he replied, moving the tray so he could get up and get dressed. He wanted to spend the day alone? Not with us? Ouch. 

“Bucky; you had to have known I’d do something special for you Why didn’t you say something sooner? What do I tell the kids? They have a surprise for you.” They would be devastated if they couldn’t give him their gifts today. He stepped out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on his boots. 

“Sorry Gwen, I didn’t know I’d wake up feeling this way. Steve and I were talking last night on the phone and I guess it just hit me all at once; I’m really an old man. One hundred. How is that even possible?” He stood and walked to the dresser, putting his wallet in his back pocket. “Tell them I don’t feel well. I’ll come back before they go to sleep so they don’t miss me,” he said over his shoulder. “I’m going to walk there. Since there’s no workout equipment here, taking a walk to and from town should give me a decent workout. That way, if you need to go to town, you have the suburban.” I followed him outside and opened the passenger door and took out his gift.

“Here. Hope this helps,” I grumbled, handing it to him. I kissed his cheek before turning to go back inside. “Love you. If you need us to come get you, all you have to do is call.” He nodded before heading down the driveway. He didn’t say bye. I started crying and went back in the house.

# 

THUD. 

What the hell was that? I glanced at the clock and saw that it was 1:28 a.m. Bucky wasn’t home yet. Wait, I can hear him talking. Oh, thank god he’s ok. I got out of bed and walked down the hall into the living room. “Bucky?” I yawned, shielding my eyes from the light. What I saw when my eyes adjusted I could never unsee. Bucky was sitting on our couch, a blonde woman straddling his lap with her tongue seemingly shoved down his throat. No. No no no no. “No!” He jerked his head towards me, a scared look on his face. The woman looked at me in surprise, apparently not aware that I existed. I felt like puking.

“Babe, no it’s not what it looks like,” Bucky scrambled to get her off his lap and stand. “I swear nothing happened. She just gave me a ride,” he walked toward me, reaching out for me. I could feel my heart shatter with every step he took. “Shit! That didn’t come out right… She drove me home, that’s all.” I flinched away from him when he got too close.

“Don’t,” I snapped. He had the audacity to look hurt. “Why Bucky? Why?” I cried, tears falling from my eyes. He looked broken, but that wasn’t possible. He’s not the one whose heart was ripped out of their chest. “Get out. Go sleep somewhere else tonight. I can’t even look at you.” His chin quivering, he reached for me again.

“No, baby, please. Don’t do this Gwen,” he begged. I stepped forward and slapped him with everything I had in me.

“Fuck you, James Barnes,” I snarled, before running into our room and slamming the door behind me. I flung myself onto the bed and sobbed. I heard the front door shut and I wept even more. After a while, I heard my door open and shut. I felt the bed moving so I lifted my head and saw that Elliott and Zoey had climbed into bed with me. They snuggled on either side of me and held me while I wailed over Bucky’s betrayal.

#

The next morning, I felt like I had a hangover. My head was pounding, my throat was raw, and I was still nauseous. I looked around and saw the kids were still tucked in on either side of me. I slid out of bed and went into the bathroom. After I was done, I walked back in and both were awake. “Hey,” I whispered, “Let’s go eat some pancakes ok?” I felt so bad for waking them up last night, so I thought I would make it up to them. We all filed out of the room and headed to the kitchen. I froze when I saw Bucky standing by the front door.

Before I had a chance to say a word, Elliott ran up to him and punched Bucky in the nuts. He dropped to the floor in pain while Elliott stood over him, yelling. “You made Miss Ellie cry all night! Why did you make her cry! You’re a big, fat meanie!” Finally, he kicked Bucky in the chest and ran back to the table, beaming at me. “I got him for you, Miss Ellie,” he crowed, puffing his chest out in triumph. I smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

“Thank you, sweetie.” My voice still sounded terrible. Bucky recovered from Elliott’s attack, then crawled towards me on his hands and knees. His eyes were so bloodshot, it looked as if he hadn’t slept a wink last night. I guess sex with her was worth losing sleep over. Lord knows sex with me helped him fall asleep. “What are you doing here Bucky? I thought I made it clear that I didn’t want you here anymore,” I hissed. He stared up at me, misery written across his face before he covered it with his hands and sobbed. I didn’t see that coming. After a few minutes of crying, he looked back up at me.

“Baby, please. I am so sorry. I swear it’s not-” He began but I held my hand up to stop him. “Babe ple-”

“No. I don’t want to hear anything that you have to say,” I snapped. “Nothing that you say is going to fix last night.” I was starting to get upset again, but I didn’t want to shed any more tears over this asshole. “You’re lucky I haven’t called Steve or Tony to come collect your sorry ass.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared down at him. He shuffled forward until he was inches from me, and then I could smell him. He reeked like he’d rolled around in an ashtray all night and drank a liquor store.

“I’m so sorry,” he moaned. “I couldn’t sleep last night knowing I had hurt you.” He leaned over and laid his head on top of my feet. “Give me another chance. Please…I’m begging you.” He looked up at me, tears running down his face. “I’ll do anything you want. Anything. Please, just let me stay.” I couldn’t believe my eyes. Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, was on his knees at my feet, bawling because he cheated on me and couldn’t stand that I kicked him out. Unbelievable.

“Why should I let you stay? So you can bring that wench back into our home?” I growled at him. “You wanna stay so bad? Fine. You’re on the couch now. You get hungry? Cook your own damn food. Your clothes need to be cleaned? Wash ’em yourself. Your conjugal visits will happen at her place and you will walk there and back.” I kneeled down in front of him so he could see how serious I was. In a low growl, I informed him: “You are here for our protection, and our protection only. You leave this house when we do and come home when we do. Is that in anyway unclear?” I hissed through gritted teeth.

Bucky looked relieved that he could stay. “Anything you want, it’s yours. I’ll do anything you tell me to do without hesitation. It’s what I’ve spent the last 70 years doing,” he answered in a monotone. A small part of me hated to see that he was equating this to being under HYDRA’s control, but the bigger part of me didn’t care.

“Good. Go take a shower. You reek of cigarettes and booze and it’s making me queasy,” I ordered. I stood up and went back to finish breakfast. He jumped up and ran to our room. The kids and I sat down and ate, and as we were finishing up, Bucky came back out. He certainly looked better, but he was still uneasy about how to proceed with everything. He fixed himself something to eat and sat down at the counter, away from us. He kept looking over at me, a wistful look on his face.

The rest of the day, he would follow me around the house from a distance, and then when we went to the store, he did the same thing. I guess he was taking the protection detail seriously now. He helped load and unload groceries without me asking. At bedtime, he grabbed a few blankets and his pillow and made a bed on our teeny couch, before pulling out his weapons bag and cleaning his prized shotgun. I was starting the dishwasher before I went to bed and stopped next to him.

“I’m going to bed. Night,” I stated. He glanced up at me before nodding.

“Okay. I’m gonna stay up and bit and make sure the house is secure before I go to bed,” he assured me.

“Sounds good. Oh, I guess I don’t need these anymore,” I said, pulling off his mother’s rings before setting them down on the table. “Seeing as how you used them to score points with me, I don’t feel comfortable wearing them anymore.” I turned and walked into the bedroom, looking back over my shoulder at him before shutting the door. He had picked up the rings and was staring at them, a forlorn look on his face.


	12. The Feels

Life was a lot harder to deal with from that point on. Bucky and I had gotten into a rhythm that had touches, embraces and kisses galore. But now, I couldn’t bear to look at him knowing that he had touched another woman. I had to start watching every move I made to keep from hurting myself even more.

I would catch myself reaching out to run my hand through his hair or hug him, and I would freak and stop. There were times where I would lean in to kiss him, but I would freeze and pull away. He would catch some of these moments and as I realized what was happening, he would get this distraught look on his face before bowing his head and walking away.

 

You never really notice how much you enjoy sex until you can’t have it anymore. The thought of him bringing that thing anywhere near me after he had it in someone else made me sick. As a result, I became even more stressed. He appeared to be doing ok since he was still getting some from her, but there were a few times I could have sworn I heard him jerking off in the shower.

Night time was a task in itself. Since we had grown accustomed to falling asleep together, we now had to figure out how to sleep without each other. After banishing him to the couch and a couple nights of him screaming from night terrors and waking up the kids, I reluctantly allowed him to sleep in the bed. That was tough. Since he was so warm, I would instinctively seek him out at night for heat. Waking up in his arms was a shock to the system. It felt so nice at first, but knowing that another woman had been in this same spot had me vomiting. Literally.

There were mornings where I had to bolt for the bathroom and I would barely make it to the toilet. One morning, Bucky came in behind me and held my hair back while I heaved. He went to rub my back and I flinched away. It felt like I had been burned. “Don’t fucking touch me, Barnes,” I snarled, wiping the spit off my lip. He held his hands up in surrender and walked out. I brushed my teeth and washed my face before heading back into the bedroom. He was sitting on the bed, watching me warily. I was so angry with him. He has no reason to feel bad about this. “Is it worth it? Seeing me physically sick from your betrayal?” I snapped at him.

He looked sick as he shook his head. “No. I hate seeing you in pain like this. I don’t want you to hurt,” he confessed. That set me off.

“You don’t want me to hurt? You don’t like seeing me in pain? Then WHY DID YOU CHEAT ON ME!” I yelled. “I gave you everything I have! And for what? For you to throw it all away! I would have done anything for you, followed you anywhere, but now that’s gone.” I paused as tears began to fall. “I have waited for you for the past year, hoping that someday you would look at me the way I looked at you. Amazingly you finally did, but it was all a lie. You never loved me like you say you did!” He was crying now, but I wouldn’t let that stop me. “You said everything you knew I wanted to hear, all so you could get in my pants. And once you did, you kept up the charade until you found someone else.” I could feel the fiery rage inside began to peter out. “You threw me away, just like my mother did. All my life, I’ve felt like I wasn’t enough. Then I met you and that changed. But now, I see that I’m still not enough, and I never will be.”

I finally ran out of steam as I sank to my knees in anguish. Sobs racked my body as I cried into my hands. It felt cathartic to finally let it all out. I felt two arms, one warm and one cool, wrap around and hold me as I wept into his chest.

“Babe I’m so sorry. I’d give anything to fix the mess I got us in,” Bucky sniffled, his tears dropping on top of my head. I pulled back from his chest to look up into his face.

“You think you can fix this? Bucky, no matter what you do, you can’t change the fact that you were with another woman. Nothing will erase that you had another woman on your lap with her tongue down your throat,” I protested, weakly slapping his chest. He grabbed my wrists in his metal hand and wiped my tears away with his flesh one.

“Gwen I swear on my mother’s grave that I never touched her,” he argued with such conviction, it was hard to doubt him. But I did, because I had seen it with my own eyes. 

“James Buchanan Barnes, how dare you. I watched you and her make out on our couch! In our home! You should count your lucky stars that’s all I caught you doing,” I threatened, getting to my feet and sitting on the bed. “Would you have fucked her right here? In the bed where we consummated our love? Oh, I’m sorry, where I gave you my heart and you threw it away?” I sneered down at him. He peered up at me, puppy-dog eyes on full blast.

“Gwen, sweetheart, I swear, on everything that is holy, I love you more than anything. I love you more than I love Steve! You are the light of my life, and without you, everything is dark, like it was when HYDRA had control. You are the absolute best thing to ever walk into my life, and knowing that I have screwed this all up is killing me inside. I would crawl on my hands and knees through broken glass for you! Please, I’ll do anything! Please just give me another chance,” he pleaded as he began to cry again, hiding his face in his hands. I watched him for a while, trying to figure out what I was going to do.

“I shouldn’t have to give you another chance, Bucky. If you truly loved me, you would have never gone near that woman. But you did, and nothing can change that.” I stood up and paced around the room, thinking about everything. “Alright Barnes, I’ve made my decision.” He jerked his head up at me, tears streaking down his face. “As much as you’ve hurt me, I still surprisingly love you. If you can prove just how sorry you really are, then maybe we can come back from this.” 

He looked hopeful that he could redeem himself. “But, I will tell you this, and you better listen and heed my warning,” I cautioned him. I knelt down in front of him so we were face to face and eye to eye. “If I catch you talking to her, hell, even looking in her direction at all, I will never speak to you again. This,” I motioned between us, “will be over for good. You will never get to touch me again, talk to me again, or have anything to do with me ever again.” I scooted forward until I was only inches from him. “Is that understood, Soldat?” I asked, poking his chest with each word. I hoped using that one word in Russian would get through to him, but when his eyes dilated, for a moment I thought The Soldier had been triggered somehow. 

“I understand,” he stated in a monotone. When he remained motionless, I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, before standing up. I was no match for The Soldier. Even though Wakanda had cured him, there was still concern that the conditioning wasn’t completely gone. I grabbed some clothes to change into before turning to him.

“I’m getting in the shower. How about if you wake the kids up and get them something to wear and when I’m done, I’ll cook breakfast.” He looked up at me and nodded before standing up and leaving. As he walked away, I had the smallest bit of hope that we might be able to fix this after all.


	13. The Departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are descriptions of shooting, blood loss, and death.

RING. RING. RING.

RING. RING. RING. 

I don’t remember setting my alarm last night. I opened my eyes and grabbed my phone. It wasn’t the one going off, so I rolled over to see if Barnes was awake. He wasn’t, but his phone kept ringing. I tried reaching over him to grab it, but I couldn’t reach. So, as much as I didn’t want to be near him, I got up and straddled his hip. That allowed me to grab his phone and upon seeing the caller ID, I hurriedly accepted the call. 

“Morning Steve. No, he’s still asleep.” I suddenly lurched sideways as Barnes rolled to his back and gazed up at me. I held my finger up as I continued listening to Steve. “You found them? Are they ok? Oh my god. That’s amazing!” Barnes sat up suddenly and grabbed the phone from my hand, his metal one going to hold my hip.

“Steve, what’s going on?” His voice was gravely from sleep. “You guys found their parents? That’s…great. So we have to come home? Oh. Ok. Well, I guess we’ll get everything packed up and head out. Bye.” He hung up and tossed his phone on the table. “We get to go home. Kinda sucks,” he said regretfully.

“Yeah, I bet you’re really disappointed. You won’t get to see your lady friend anymore,” I lamented. He frowned at me before I continued. “I’m sure if you wanted, you could move out here and see her all the time,” I spat at him, climbing off the bed so I could start packing. He groaned before getting off the bed as well.

“For the last time, nothing happened. Why on earth would I mess around with some stranger when I have you at home?” He argued. I shook my head as I pulled my shirt over my head and turned toward him. He gasped when he saw me in just my underwear. I chuckled before walking to the dresser. 

“Beats me. Probably when you got tired of seeing this every day. I hope she was worth it,” I snapped. I grabbed my clothes and stepped into the bathroom. After I was finished getting ready, I left to pack my clothes when I saw that he had already packed my suitcase for me. I walked out of the bedroom and I could hear him and Elliott talking in the little boy’s room. I went into Zoey’s room and started to wake her up. “Zoey. Zoey sweetie. It’s time to wake up.” She stirred a bit before opening her eyes. “Zoey, guess what? Our friends found your mommy and daddy. You get to see them today.” She shot up and grinned, her eyes bright. She threw her arms around me and squeezed me tight. “Hurry and get ready because the faster we get ready, the faster we leave and see your mommy and daddy.” She scrambled off her bed and ran out the door into Elliott’s room, where I heard her talk for the first time since they arrived. 

“Ellwet, mommy daddy day!” She gleefully giggled and ran back into her room. I handed her the clothes I picked out and started packing the rest of her clothes up. After she was dressed, we went to the kitchen to grab a quick bite while Barnes loaded the suitcases in the suburban. As soon as we were done eating, we loaded up and headed out. Once we got into town, we pulled into the lone gas station and he got out and filled up the tank.

A black sedan pulled up in front of us by the other pump as Barnes was walking inside to pay. I could see three men inside, two up front and one in the back, and the driver was staring me down. The man in the back seat happened to lean back and I caught a glimpse of a gun. I knew I had only seconds before shit went sideways. 

“Elliott, Zoey, I need you to listen to me,” I began, trying not to call attention to the fact that I was chambering my handgun in my lap. “Elliott I need you to unbuckle yourself and Zoey and then get in the back seat, get down on the floor and hide under the blanket back there.” The men were getting out of the car and they were carrying rifles. “Do not move unless Bucky or I come to get you. Stay down and do not get up, do you understand?” I never heard their answer because the men began shooting.

The kids started screaming and I looked back to see that they were scrambling into the back of the suburban. I couldn’t see out the windshield directly in front of me, so I crawled over the center console into Bucky’s seat. I looked over and saw that one of the men was shooting toward the store, no doubt in an attempt to keep Bucky from coming to help. The other two men stopped to reload and I took the opportunity to kick open the door and begin shooting back. I shot the thug closest to me and he went down. The driver roared in anger and advanced on me, shooting me in the left shoulder a few times.

Motherfucker that hurt. 

I slipped and fell to the ground, completely exposed as the driver rounded the front of the suburban, aiming right at me. “That was my brother, you fucking whore!” he yelled, spit flying from his mouth. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Bucky’s shotgun poking out from under the seat. I could grab it, but I needed to distract this guy. “I guess being the Winter Soldier’s fuck buddy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” the thug taunted. I looked over his shoulder, pretending to be excited, and shouted the only thing I could think of. 

“Bucky!” It worked. The man spun around to search for the non-existent threat and I yanked the shotgun out. I shut the safety off and cocked it, just as he was turning back towards me. “No, fuck you, buddy,” I retorted as I shot him twice in the chest, his blood splattering me. He was dead before he hit the ground, and I used his body as a cover to sit up and shoot the last man. After he fell down, I laid back, trying to come to terms with the fact that I had just killed three men with Elliott and Zoey in the car. I heard footsteps pounding across the parking lot before Bucky appeared above me, looking terrified as he dropped to his knees at my side. 

“Gwen! Oh my god, Gwen! Are you ok? Talk to me!” I’ve never heard him sound so scared before. “Oh shit! You’ve been shot! Those fuckers! Jesus, there’s a lot of blood!” I tried to lift my left arm, but that wasn’t going to happen, so I raised my right arm and grabbed his hand.

“Bucky, it’s ok. It’s not just my blood. I shot him,” I mumbled. His metal hand came down and grabbed my shoulder, applying pressure. “Ow,” I groaned while he checked my pulse.

“It’s getting weak. The medics should be here soon. Just hang on babe,” he assured me. That was the last thing I remember him saying before Bucky and the world around me faded to black.


	14. The Big News

At first, there was darkness everywhere, but after a while, I could sense bright lights. I could feel something cold in my right hand and something tight wrapped around my left arm. I could hear beeping and someone nearby was breathing deeply, almost like they were asleep. I opened my eyes slowly, taking in my surroundings. I was in the medical wing of the tower. I looked to my left and could see the heart monitor, tracking my vital signs, a blood pressure cuff just above my elbow. A sigh from my right startled me. I snapped my head around and saw him. Bucky. He must have been here a while because he was still in the clothes he was wearing the day we left. He was asleep, his metal hand holding my right. I squeezed his hand, hoping to wake him up, and it worked.

 

“Wha-Gwen! Oh, I’m so glad you’re awake! Everyone’s been worried,” he gushed, leaning forward to brush my hair back from my face. I gave him a small smile. “You need anything? Water? A trip to the bathroom? Food? Tell me and I’ll get it for you.” Geez. He’s not normally this attentive, even when we were together.

“Water,” I rasped, my throat dry. Bucky sprang up and ran to the sink, filling up a cup with water before bringing it back to me and tilting it up ever so slightly so I could take a sip. Oh my god, it tasted so good. “Thank you.  Can you let my doctor know I’m awake?” I asked. He left the room without a second glance. Wow. I need to remember how to do that. The door opened and Dr. Cho walked in, Bucky on her tail. 

“Miss Adams, so glad you’re awake. You lost quite a bit of blood back there. A couple of the bullets went straight through,” Helen informed me. Well, son of a bitch! No wonder I went out so fast. She wasn’t done with her assessment though. “There was a bit of a problem, due to your underlying condition, but everything has been checked out and you’re going to be making a full recovery.” 

Underlying condition? WTF? Bucky was in the same boat as me, as he had a perplexed look on his face.

“Underlying condition? What does that mean? Is something wrong with her?” He questioned. She looked at him with an apologetic face before answering. “Sorry Sergeant Barnes, but seeing as you’re not my patient’s next of kin, I cannot discuss anything with you unless she tells me otherwise, in writing.” Helen smiled, clearly dismissing him. Bucky walked out of the room like a puppy with its tail between its legs. As soon as the door was shut, she rounded on me. 

“So, I need to tell you this because I’m sure that he’s going to notify the team that you’re awake, and that means we have a few moments before we’re interrupted.” She paused, checking to make sure he wasn’t listening, before coming back to sit next to me. “Your underlying condition? You’re pregnant. 9 weeks along and confirmed by ultrasound and blood work,” she stated. 

Pregnant? Me? There has to be a mistake. Bucky couldn’t have kids. Unless HYDRA lied to him, which given their history, it’s entirely plausible. He’s the only guy I’ve ever been with, and he never used condoms while we were together. Holy fuck! I’m pregnant! 

“I can see that this is a surprise to you. Normally, the kind of trauma that you’ve experienced could have caused you to miscarry, but, and I’m thinking I’m correct in this, but the fetus is half super-Soldier, so it’s still viable.” Helen squeezed my hand and gave me a sad smile. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but you need to rest and recuperate,” she insisted, patting my hand. “It’s not just you anymore-” she was cut off as the door opened and Wanda, Steve, and Natasha filed in. Wanda got to me first, embracing me in a tight hug. 

“I’m so glad you’re ok! I’ve missed you so much!” She exclaimed. The other two gave me a smile and a nod before I realized that no one else was coming in. 

“Where’s Barnes and the rest of the team?” I murmured, my throat still sore. They all looked at each other before Steve stepped forward. 

“He’s more than likely taking a shower, getting some clean clothes, and eating. He came in with you and hasn’t left your side since. He wanted to be here when you woke up,” the captain explained. Oh. Well, that’s…sweet. “The rest of the team is waiting for you.” 

In my fuzzy brain, I begin to process things.  “How long have I been out?” 

“You’ve been out for a day and a half. Dr. Cho said that you have some issue that no one knew about, so she wanted to monitor you to make sure nothing was wrong,” Wanda answered my thought out loud.

“Oh. Well, ok then. Dr. Cho, when can I leave?” I asked. She smiled knowingly at me because it’s a well-known fact that I cannot stand being the center of attention, medical or otherwise. She really is an amazing doctor.

“Let me go fetch your discharge papers, then I can come unhook you from the machine,” she replied. Natasha suddenly produced some clothes from behind her back. 

“I figured you’d want some of your own clothes to wear instead of scrubs,” she stated, shrugging. I nodded, flashing a grateful smile her way. Dr. Cho returned, placing some paperwork on my lap before leaning over me to begin unhooking the leads to the machine. 

“No one knows. Your secret is protected by doctor-patient confidentiality,” she whispered in my ear. I peered at her out of the corner of my eye before she spoke louder. “You will need to relax. Your left arm will need to stay in a sling for a couple of days. No extracurricular activities, do you understand?” I nodded my head, catching her eyes to ensure that I was replying to both statements. Everyone left so Dr. Cho could help me get dressed. 

Once I had my own clothes on, albeit significantly tighter, I was in the elevator, heading up to the living quarters. When the doors opened, there was a chorus of “WELCOME HOME!” The whole team was standing under a banner that read ‘WELCOME HOME GWEN’. I smiled as they took turns hugging me until I noticed that Bucky had joined them. His hair was still damp from his shower and he had clean clothes on. He walked forward, holding an envelope out to me. 

“Hey. Um, so Elliott and Zoey’s parents didn’t get to meet you or anything, so they gave me this to give to you,” he said, nodding at the envelope and handing it to me. “Oh, before you ask, both of them are fine. Not a scratch, bruise, or hair out of place. They were really scared that you were gonna die though.” He rocked back on his heels, looking sad. His phone suddenly went off, and as he pulled it out, Sam looked over at it and whistled. 

“Damn dude. Where’d you find her?” He asked, jealous. Bucky looked over at him with his best ‘eat shit and die’ look and shoved the phone back in his pocket, his eyes straying over to me for a split second. 

“Forget about it. Let’s celebrate Gwen being home, alright?” he offered, changing the subject, but I wasn’t gonna let him off that easy.

“Sam, was it a blonde woman with dark eyes?” I may have been talking to him, but my eyes never left Bucky’s face, so I saw the guilty look pass over him before Sam confirmed my suspicion. 

“Yeah, it was. She, uh, didn’t have any clothes on,” he replied, a blush dusting his cheeks. Fan-fucking-tastic. First Bucky brought her home to do god knows what, now she’s sending him dirty pictures. Unbelievable.

“Great. You know, I appreciate the thought of celebrating and all, but I’m starving and I would love to just order some pizza and relax,” I suggested. Everyone could feel the tension between Bucky and I but I could tell they weren’t going to push the issue since I had just come out of the hospital and didn’t need any more stress. 

“Alright,” Tony said, clapping his hands together. “Everyone figure out what you want on your pizza and I’ll call in an order. Grab your drinks, get comfortable, and we’ll meet in the theatre.” Everyone was going their separate ways, so I walked over to the closest chair and opened the envelope. There was a letter inside from Elliott and Zoey’s parents.

 

_Dear Gwen,_

_We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking care of our children. They are our entire world and being taken from them has been torture. We were told about what had happened at the gas station. How you hid them. How you selflessly put your life on the line to protect them. How you took several bullets and lost copious amounts of blood all in the name of our children. You saved their lives, and we are eternally grateful._

_We didn’t know if you would pull through, so we had plans in place in case you did or didn’t. If you’re reading this, that means you pulled through and that all of your medical bills are taken care of. It’s the least we could do. If you didn’t pull through, we were going to pay for your funeral services. We hope to keep in touch with you on behalf of Elliott and Zoey. Thank you so much for taking care of the precious cargo that is our children._

I wiped the tears away as I finished the letter. I looked up and Bucky was there, watching me. I stood up and pushed past him, going to my room and slamming the door. I slid to the floor as more tears came. Knowing that I had a child growing inside me, that could have been lost, suddenly hit me. This was no way to raise a child. I could not, in good conscience, bring a child into this life. Not to mention that if people know that I’m carrying the Winter Soldier’s child, I will most certainly have a target upon my head. Bucky cannot know. He more than likely wouldn’t care anyway, seeing as how he cheated on me. There’s only one path I can choose. I will not tell Bucky and I will have to disappear and never speak to the team, who had become the family I never had, again.


	15. The Interrogation

After the first night, I couldn’t be near Bucky. Knowing that he wouldn’t want this broke me even more. Since I had a while before I would find out if it was a boy or girl, I decided to nickname the baby Bean. I began to look into finding a different job that would take me out of the Avenging life. I wanted to give this child the best chance at living. I remembered that Pepper, Tony’s girlfriend, was the CEO of Stark Industries and had yet to find a new PA. I met with her and after talking for a while, she offered me the position. I took it without hesitation and made a stop at SHIELD headquarters to handle my resignation. Agent Hill was not pleased to accept it, but she pushed it through. When I returned to the tower, I was met by Steve and Tony, who were in disbelief.

“What do you mean resignation?” Steve demanded. “You’re an amazing agent. What brought this on?” I could see Wanda, Vision, Sam, and Clint walking towards us out of the corner of my eye. “Why did you go straight to Maria? Is it so I couldn’t decline your request?”

Tony stepped in and placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder.

“Give her a chance to speak, Capslock,” Tony quipped. I smiled and nodded in thanks at Tony as I noticed the rest of the team join us. I looked around and saw that Bucky was staring at me with a shocked expression. Sucking in a deep breath, I turned to the team.

“Yes, it’s true. I’m resigning. I’m not good enough to be an Avenger. I’m not like any of you. I’m not special in any way, so I don’t deserve to be here,” I paused, letting my words sink in. They all looked around at each other before turning back to look at Bucky. He squirmed guiltily until they all looked back at me. “This has nothing to do with him, guys. I almost died the other day. I’m not cut out for this, so I’ve accepted a position as Pepper’s PA. I’ll be around every once in a while, but I will be moving out of the tower.” Tony took the chance to step in before anyone could object. 

“She’ll be moving into Pepper’s old place because Pepper is moving in with me. I tried to get her to stay, but she’d rather move.” He shot me a disappointed look before coming to stand next to me. “We’re going to throw a party in her honor though. A goodbye party. It’ll be at the end of the week, so get your goodbyes in by then.” He clapped me on the shoulder and walked away, pulling out his phone to start planning the party. Wanda walked up and hugged me. 

“I don’t want you to leave. You do have what it takes to be an Avenger. Don’t let one bad day ruin everything,” she pleaded. I thought as hard as I could at her.  _It’s not just that Wanda. There’s more to it, but I can’t tell you right now. I’ll explain it all later after I’ve moved out_. She frowned but nodded her head. “I’ll miss you. You’ve become a dear friend and I’m going to hate not seeing you every day.” She hugged me again before heading back to the kitchen to finish her lunch. Everyone else had already gone back to their activities so I went to my room. I was taking pictures off the wall when there was a knock followed by Steve opening my door. 

“We need you down in Interrogation. I think we may have a lead on the thugs who attacked you,” he explained. I followed him out and into the elevator. The door was almost shut before a metal hand stopped it. “Glad you got my message, Buck.” He moved over so his friend could join us. Bucky stood between us as the elevator descended. When we got to our floor, Steve exited first. 

“I had no idea Sarah Rogers raised a heathen,” Bucky called out. Steven turned around with a perplexed look on his face. “All gentlemen know that it’s ladies first,” Bucky boasted as he bowed, letting me walk out before him. 

“The only gentleman in the elevator left to lead the way because I’ve never been down here before, which is the gentlemanly thing to do. Your mother, on the other hand, is the one who raised a heathen,” I snapped, leaving him in the elevator and following Steve, who chuckled at the shocked look on his friend’s face. Steve opened a door and led me and Bucky inside. I looked through the two-way mirror and saw her. 

It was the woman that Bucky had brought home. I was filled with seething rage at the sight of her. She took Bucky from me. To see her in handcuffs made me so undeniably happy. I felt Bucky stiffen next to me when he realized who it was. I looked at him and gave him the biggest ‘cat got the canary’ grin I could. “Ah. Justice is served,” I sneered. “I feel smug. Do I look smug?” I asked, smirking. He gave me an exasperated look before looking back at the woman as Steve entered the room and sat across from her. 

“My name is Steve Rogers. Your name is Bridget Nichols, correct? We have you here in connection to the shooting that occurred on Sunday, April 5th. Do you recognize either of these people?” Steve asked as he slid a picture of Bucky and me forward. She looked at the photo before smirking.

“Yeah, I know them. He’s the Winter Soldier and she’s a SHIELD agent. My husband’s family suffered at the hands of the Winter Soldier and he vowed vengeance,” she sneered, taking a drink of water before continuing. “So imagine our surprise when he showed up in our little town with her and the O`Hara kids in tow. We decided to come up with a plan to ruin him as he ruined our family.” Bucky and I glanced at each other for a moment. I couldn’t bear to look at her anymore, so I turned away and leaned against Bucky’s arm. 

“I saw him in town one day. Our plan wasn’t airtight, because we had no idea where they were staying, but I thought that if I could somehow go home with him, then we could finally set our plan in motion. So, I came onto him, offering him a ride home. He wasn’t very drunk, but I was able to sneak his number out of his phone. My husband said we could use it to track him, but it ended up not  working.” I could feel tears pooling in my eyes. Bucky reached over and rubbed my arm. “He’s a good looking man, so when he took me inside their house, I pushed him down onto the couch and climbed on his lap. I kept trying to kiss him and get him to kiss me back, but he would pull away every time. Kept repeating that he was married and that he loved her more than anything. I finally just grabbed his face and kissed him as hard as I could. He grabbed my shoulders to push me away and that’s when she walked out and saw us. She got so upset and started to cry and I knew that getting through their defenses would be even easier.” 

I was crying in earnest now. Bucky had stepped in front of me and held me in his arms while I wept. I couldn’t believe it. I had reacted just as she wanted me to and now I didn’t have Bucky anymore. I was mad at him for nothing. “Bucky, I am so sorry. I’m sorry for not giving you a chance to explain yourself. I’m so sorry for being so mad at you. I’m sorry,” I sobbed into his chest. He rubbed my back and let me cry. 

“The plan was to go back at a later time and kidnap the children and dispatch whoever got in our way. After this, we felt that kidnapping her as well would hurt him even more. How else would you further destroy someone? By taking the person they love most and making them watch as their love was killed while they were helpless to stop it. We were going to take her, and when he came for her, we were going to make him watch as she bled to death. Well, as luck would have it, every time we would attempt to go out there, something would come up and we had to put the plan on hold. They wouldn’t be home, or we would have car trouble. On the day of the attack, I was stuck at home, sick, when Edgar called and said that they had spotted them all together in town and were going to ambush them. I wish I had been able to go though, cause that bitch killed my husband and his brothers! The filthy slut!” 

I couldn’t take anymore. I ran from the room and headed to the elevator. Once I got inside I pushed the button for my floor. Bucky wasn’t following me, which meant that he wanted to listen to her more than comfort me. I know I’m being irrational in my distress, but I felt justified in my anger at him. 

I avoided Bucky for the next few days until the night of the party. There were tons of people milling around and I happened to see him walk up to Steve, Wanda, and Thor, his arm around a brunette. Ouch. Even though I couldn’t drink, I headed to the bar and asked for a glass of water. Wanda sidled up next to me and cleared her throat. “She’s not his date. She’s a fan of Captain America and Thor, so he introduced her to them,” she clarified. I nodded but froze when I heard female laughter behind me. 

“Oh Bucky, you’re so funny.” I turned around and she was hanging all over him, clearly having no qualms about him looking embarrassed. Not his date my ass. He glanced up and caught my eye. I could feel my heart crack again as she reached up and kissed his cheek. I pushed past him and made my way out onto the balcony. I cannot do this. Starting tomorrow I won’t have to see his face every day. The baby will help make me feel whole again.


	16. The Reveal

I heard the balcony door open and shut. I looked over my shoulder and saw that Clint had followed me out here. “So…how far along are you?” Clint asked. I turned to him, hoping my face didn’t betray how shocked I was. He looked at me expectantly, waiting to hear what bogus excuse I would come up with to contradict him. I gaped at him for a moment, before deciding to just get on with it.

“Almost 10 weeks,”  I admitted.  “How did you know? I didn’t think I was being too obvious about it.”  I looked back out at the city. He leaned against the railing next to me, staring off at nothing in particular.

“Gwen, I’m a dad three times over. I know what signs to look for in a pregnant woman. You were all about skin-tight clothes, but in the last few days, you’ve opted for more, poofy shirts,” he noted. I looked down at my outfit, a black tunic over black leggings with a jean jacket on top. He was right, and here I thought I had changed styles inconspicuously. Oh well. _He is a professional spy_ , I think to myself.  Clint continued on. “You haven’t touched alcohol since you came back from the mission and you’ve been putting away more food in one sitting than Barnes and Rogers do. Also, I don’t think you even know that you do it, but you tend to rub or lay a hand on your belly.” Damn. I knew about the belly thing. I thought I caught myself most, if not all, of the time but apparently not. “I take it you haven’t told Barnes yet? 

I scoffed. “What do you think? With my luck, he’ll probably deny it’s his so he can continue his bachelor/playboy lifestyle. I’ve come to terms with being a single mom. Wait, how did you know it was Bucky’s?” He chuckled like it was painfully obvious how he figured it out.

“He has a thing for you and you him. You guys were stuck playing husband and wife for a couple months and I haven’t seen or heard any guys come to visit you since you came back. Do I look like I just fell off the turnip truck?” I bowed my head and giggled. After tonight, I’m never underestimating Clint Barton again. He sees far more than I give him credit for. “You need to tell him. Even if you two don’t get along anymore, he deserves to know that he’s going to be a father.” 

“Who’s going to be a father?” Steve was shutting the balcony door behind him as he came to join us. He looked between us for a moment before asking again, a bit more sternly, “Who’s going to be a father?” Clint gestured to me but I quickly shook my head. Steve waited patiently for a moment before Clint answered for me. 

“Your best friend is. She’s pregnant with his baby. She’s afraid to tell him because she’s convinced that he’ll walk out on them.” Clint walked back inside, leaving me alone to deal with Steve, who turned to me with a look of horror before he began questioning me. 

“You and Bucky slept together? While on a mission? And now you’re pregnant?” I guess he needed to hear it from me before he would believe it. I nodded my head while I rubbed my belly. Letting it sink in, he smiled before he enveloped me in a huge hug. “I’m going to be an uncle!” he whispered excitedly into my ear. I pulled back to look at him, giving him a sad smile.

“Steve, you don’t think he’ll run off on me, do you? I know what it’s like to grow up without parents and I don’t want that for my baby. I can’t make him stay but I don’t want him to leave. I’m so scared and I don’t want to do this alone, but I will if I have to.” I started crying into his chest and Steve squeezed me tight. “I’m just afraid that he’s going to say that I ruined his life and never speak to me again. I don’t know what to do Steve.” He rubbed my back, trying to calm me down. 

“Hey what’s going on out here?” Oh no. Not him. Anyone but him. “Clint said that Gwen needed to talk to me.” Oh, I was gonna kill Barton. Steve and I stepped away from each other, he walked past Bucky and clapped him on the shoulder before returning to the party. I wiped my eyes on my sleeves, willing the tears to stop falling. Bucky walked toward me, reaching out and wiping away a missed tear. “Gwen, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” I sniffled, trying to find the words to say. 

“Well, I’m upset.” Bucky rolled his eyes at me while motioning for me to continue.  “I’m upset because I’m afraid you’re going to get mad and leave when I tell you the secret I’ve been keeping,” I confessed.

He grabbed my hand in both of his and pulled me close. I took a deep breath before letting it out. This was it, now or never. “Bucky, I’m pregnant, with your baby. I understand if you don’t want to be a part of our baby’s life, but you deserve to know.” I braced myself for his reaction. I closed my eyes, trying not to cry again. When I opened them, he was looking at me in wonder with a half smile on his face. 

“I’m going to be a dad?” I nodded and he grinned. “We made a baby?” I nodded again and he laughed as his grin grew even bigger. He threw his arms around me and picked me up, spinning us in a circle. He started hooting and hollering as he set me down. “I’M GOING TO BE A DAD! YES! I’M GOING TO BE A DAD!” I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding as I watched him dance around like a loon. He took my face in his hands and kissed me. I kissed him back and it was like nothing had changed between us. Bucky dropped to his knees and placed a hand on either side of my belly and looked up at me. “There’s a baby in here. A baby that we made!” He started talking to my bump. “Hey little one, this is your dad. I just found out about you and I can’t wait to meet you! I love you and your mom so much!” Bucky kissed all over my belly before standing up and hugging me again.

“I take it that you’re excited and that you want to be involved?” I clarified. He threw his head back and laughed.

“Are you kidding me? Of course, I want to be involved. It's our baby. HYDRA told me repeatedly that I would never have kids, because who would ever love the Winter Soldier, but now I can laugh and say ‘Fuck you!’ Babe this is the best news ever! We’re having a baby together. Baby Barnes can’t come soon enough!” He began to dance again, cracking me up.

“Baby Barnes huh? We’re not married, so why can’t it be Baby Adams-Barnes?” Uh oh. Wrong thing to say. He gave me his best ‘oh hell no’ look before answering me. 

“Uh, no. If we’re going to raise this baby together, then we’re going to do it the right way. Speaking of that, hold that thought.” He threw open the door and ran the best he could through the crowd before getting to the elevator. I turned back to watch the city lights, figuring it would be a while before he got back. I rubbed my belly and started talking to Bean.

“Looks like Mommy was wrong. Daddy does want to stay. Daddy’s excited about you and he’s not mad at Mommy. Everything is going to be alright.” I heard the balcony door shut and when I turned around, Bucky was leaning against the glass, trying to catch his breath. “You gonna make it Buck?” I teased. He laughed and started towards me. 

“Elevator was too slow. Took the stairs instead. So, like I was saying, we have to do this the right way.” He dropped to one knee and pulled his mother’s ring out of his pocket. “Guinevere Marie Adams, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” I covered my mouth, trying my best not to cry again. When I found my voice, I said the only thing I could. 

“Yes.”

He grabbed my left hand and slid the ring back onto my finger, where it belonged. He kissed me, sliding his arms around my back while I wound my arms around his neck. Suddenly I could hear yelling and pounding on the glass. We broke apart and we could see the whole team and the rest of the partygoers lining the glass wall, cheering for us. Tony beckoned for us to come inside so we went, allowing everyone to congratulate us. Steve was the first to reach us, hugging me tight then moving to Bucky. “Steve, Best Man?” he asked. Steve froze for a second before breaking into a grin. “Like you have to ask? Yes of course!” the blond replied. The two brothers hugged each other, tears welling up in their eyes. Once we made it through everyone, Tony brought me a champagne glass of sparkling white grape juice and a glass of champagne for Bucky, then held up his own drink.

“Well, Tin Man, congrats. You’ve got an amazing woman as your bride-to-be and a bundle of joy on the way. You’re a lucky man, and should you ever treat either of them wrong, there’s a whole team here that will kick your ass.” Everyone laughed, while Bucky nodded in an understanding matter. “Gwen, you will be an amazing mom to your little one and an incredible wife to Barnes. If you ever need anything, we’ve got your back. To Bucky and Gwen.” Tony toasted us along with everyone else. I couldn’t be happier than I am now.


	17. The Gender

“Miss Adams, Sergeant Barnes is here to see you,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. alerted me. I was relaxing in my new apartment reading my new book  _What to Expect When You’re Expecting_  after my first week as Pepper’s PA had come to an end. I hadn’t heard from him today, so this was a surprise. I set the book down and got up to let him in. 

“Thank you F.R.I.D.A.Y,” I answered as I opened the door. I was met with a large bouquet of roses and my smiling fiance, who was hidden behind the flowers. “Aww babe, you didn’t have to do this. They’re beautiful,” I complimented as I stood aside for him to enter. He stepped inside and placed a hand on either side of my face, capturing my lips in a searing kiss. I threw my arms around his neck, the roses falling to the floor. He pressed me against the wall as his lips made their way along my jaw and down the side of my neck, pausing as he nipped at my collarbone. 

“Darlin’, I wouldn’t use the word beautiful with you in the room,” he moaned before peppering my neck in kisses again. “God I’ve missed this. I’ve missed you so, so much.” I pushed against his chest, bending to pick up the flowers when he stepped back. 

“James, you gotta slow down. We have to be careful, there’s another person we have to think about,” I reminded him as I filled a vase up for the roses. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly before kissing my forehead. 

“I know babe. I’m just trying to make up for lost time. I somehow survived not being able to touch you for a whole month.  I’ve got to get all of this pent-up affection out of my system,” he grumbled, ducking to rub the tip of his nose against the column of my throat. “We just got engaged, you have a new job and our family is growing. We need to celebrate, so let’s go to your room and break in your new bed,” he whispered huskily, kissing the sensitive spot under my ear. Damn this man and his ability to wind me up. 

“No can do, Buck,” I replied, sliding out of his arms and headed back to the couch. “I have a few more weeks before I’m out of the danger zone, and you have no intention of being gentle with me, I can tell.” I flopped down and crossed my arms over my sore and expanding chest. “Besides, I don’t need you breaking any more furniture. I’ve already gotten an earful from Tony and Nat gave me a play-by-play of that entire conversation.”

_T: BARNES! How in the hell did you break my shower?!_

_B: (after chuckling) Must have showered too hard. Sorry._

_T: What do you mean you showered too hard?_

_B: Well, I had joined Gwen in the shower. I got carried away and washed her too hard._

_T: (after a brief silence) How on earth did you wash her too hard?_

_B: She was a dirty girl. (shrugging his shoulders) It took a while to get her clean._

_Tony was at a loss for words. Clint walked by laughing._

_C: That poor shower. It never stood a chance._

Bucky had the biggest ‘cat got the canary’ grin on his face. “Well, what can I say? I can’t help myself around you.” He stalked forward, hands at the ready. I shook my head at him.

“Nice try, but the answer is still no. Against my wishes, F.R.I.D.A.Y. has been programmed by Tony to scan my body for any sign of fetal or maternal distress and to alert Dr. Cho and the team. Do you really want everyone to come rushing in here in the middle of sex?” He sighed and shook his head no. “Exactly. So, how about we have a quiet night watching movies and enjoying some pizza?” I offered. He hung his head in defeat. 

“Fine. Whatever you want, Gwen.” He flopped down next to me and put his arm around me. “So, how’s momma and the baby? When do we find out if it’s a boy or girl?” His metal hand came to rub my belly tenderly. His smile was so full of love it made my heart swoon. I returned it with one of my own. 

“We’re both doing just fine. It’ll be a few weeks before the baby is big enough to figure out the gender. But, Wanda and Nat want to throw us a gender reveal party. It’s a party where we reveal to everyone whether it’s a boy or girl,” I explained after seeing the dumbfounded look on his face. He still looked lost, so I explained in more detail. “Usually, the mom and dad don’t know, but a close friend is trusted with the knowledge. That person then gets the necessary supplies to make the reveal exciting.” Bucky nodded in understanding. “A lot of parents opt for a box and inside the box is either blue or pink balloons that are released by them. Pink for a girl, blue for a boy. But, I was thinking we could do something that fits us more than just a box with balloons.” He looked puzzled. 

“What would fit us better?” he asked. I grinned at him before I grabbed my tablet to show him the video. “That would be awesome. Yes, let’s do it.” I laughed and clapped my hands excitedly. 

“Yay! Wanda and Nat will be so happy!” 

#

“Hey everyone! We want to thank y’all for coming out here to celebrate our baby. Wanda and Nat have everything set up so we can find out with all of you if Baby Barnes is a boy or a girl. We want to thank them, along with Clint and Laura for letting us use their field for this,” I explained to our friends. Bucky’s smile was so wide I thought his face was going to split in half. He grabbed his rifle and set up his shot. “All Bucky is going to do is shoot the target on the other end of the field. The resulting smoke from the explosion will be either blue for a boy or pink for a girl.  Y’all ready?” I asked. When everyone nodded, I turned to Bucky. “It’s all yours babe.” I stepped back and held my breath. Bucky squeezed the trigger and BOOM! 

Blue smoke! Bucky punched the air in glee as I wrapped my arms around him. 

“We’re having a boy! Yes!” he shouted, swinging me around. He set me down and dropped to his knees in front of me, kissing my protruding stomach. “I’ve got my little boy! I can’t wait to spoil you rotten, buddy!” Everyone milled around us, congratulating and asking if we had a name picked out. 

“We have a few possibilities in mind, but we won’t be giving it out until he’s born.” My announcement was met with boos, but no one argued with me. We celebrated with our loved ones until it got dark, and then we all went home. 

“I’m so excited! We’re having a boy, Gwen. I still can’t believe it,” Bucky exclaimed as we walked into our apartment. I nodded my head in agreement.

“I know. I can’t wait to meet him. I know he’ll look like you. A ladies man before he’s one. I’m sure of it,” I stated matter-of-factly. He held my face in his hands and kissed me deeply. 

“Well, we only have four months to wait,” he replied, kissing me again before picking me up and carrying me to our room.


	18. The Compromise

It’s been three weeks since our gender reveal and Bucky is still elated that we’re having a boy. He’s also been pushing me to plan a wedding before our little guy gets here. He doesn’t want to have to hyphenate the baby’s last name, but trying to plan a full-on wedding and reception is stressing me out on top of being pregnant. I have come up with a compromise, however, so it’s time to get him on board. 

“Hey babe, can you come here for a minute? I need to talk to you about something,” I called from our room, putting my What to Expect book down on the bedside table. I waited for him, but he wasn’t coming. As I swung my legs out of bed, he popped around the corner, scaring me. “Jesus Bucky, you walk like a cat,” I admonished him, slapping a hand to my chest.

“Miss Adams, I’m detecting an elevated heart rate. Are you alright? Do I need to alert anyone?” F.R.I.D.A.Y. asked over the intercom. I scowled at Bucky before I looked up at the ceiling. 

“Thank you F.R.I.D.A.Y., but I’m alright. Sergeant Barnes startled me is all,” I assured her before rounding on him. “Bucky, you can’t do that. What if next time you do that, I go into labor?” He balked, suddenly realizing that scaring me was no longer funny. 

“Sorry, Gwen. It’s the, Soldier, in me. I can’t help 70 years of training. I’ll do my best to not scare you anymore. At least until the baby is born,” he winked at me. “What is it that you wanted to talk about?” He asked, sweeping me into his arms and carrying me back to bed. He laid me down and covered me before sliding in next to me. 

“I wanted to talk about getting married. I know you’re set on getting married before he gets here, and I’m totally for it, but trying to plan a wedding in such a small time frame is stressing me to the max,” I started. “So, I was thinking, and hear me out before you object. What if we make a trip to the courthouse before he arrives, make it so I’m officially yours. Then, after I’ve had him and we all settle into a routine, we can have the whole shebang.” I let him digest my idea for a moment before continuing. “The only difference between the courthouse and a wedding is that a wedding is a full-blown ceremony. Steve can still be your best man and Wanda can still be my maid of honor. What do you think?” I held my breath, waiting for his answer. 

“The last thing I want is to stress you out even more, and I’m sorry I put all of that on you. As much as I would love to have a full-on wedding, your health and our son’s safety means more. So, yes, let’s go to the courthouse. It’s also quicker that way, cause doll, I’ve waited long enough,” he vowed, leaning in to kiss me. I smiled in triumph as I kissed him back. 

“Thanks, Buck. You know, I don’t go back to work for another couple of days. Why wait?” I teased. Bucky’s eyes got wide and he broke into a megawatt grin. 

“You mean it? Tomorrow? Really?” he asked, excitement evident in his tone. I nodded and he tackled me to the bed, covering me in kisses. Bucky pulled out his phone and dialed a number, holding it to his ear as he waited for the call to connect. “Hello, Steve? Hey, you have any plans for tomorrow? Good, cause I need my best man.” I couldn’t hear the other end of the conversation, but judging by his grin, Bucky was going to get what he wanted; his best friend by his side as we got married. 

# 

Bucky and I were walking to our apartment as he pulled out his keys to unlock and open the door. I wanted nothing more than to get off my feet since I had been on them all day. After we had met up with Steve and Wanda, the four of us had gone to the courthouse. Steve and Bucky were so excited, I had to ask Wanda more than once who was actually getting married. Once Bucky and I had said ‘I Do’, Steve and Wanda dutifully signed the license stating they had witnessed our union. 

Then, we went by the Tower and told the team. They weren’t too happy that they had missed it, but after telling them of our plans for a big ceremony after the baby had arrived, they were satisfied. Tony insisted that we all go out for dinner, and we were just now getting home. “Uh-uh.  I don’t think so, Mrs. Barnes,” he chastised me, throwing his arm out to keep me from entering. I watched him quizzically as he stooped down to lift me bridal style and carry me over the threshold. “I’m nothing, if not, thorough. It’s traditional that the husband carries his wife into their home for the first time.” I grinned at him, chuckling at his antics. 

“Whatever you say, Mr. Barnes. I’m not too heavy for you, am I?” I asked in all honesty, as he seemed to be struggling to hold me up. He shot me his best ‘really?’ look before setting me down gently.

“Babe, I can punch a hole through metal and concrete without breaking a sweat. I think I can handle my pregnant wife. I was trying to figure out the best way to hold you without hurting you or the baby.” Oh. Well, that makes sense. “God I love that. I can officially call you my wife now. Tell me, how does it feel to be Mrs. James Buchanan Barnes?” he asked joyfully, grabbing my left hand in his and holding them up to gaze at our rings. 

I beamed up at him, leaning forward to kiss him before answering. “It feels pretty damn good. A dream come true.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a deep kiss. His hands slid down my sides and around my back, holding me as close as he could without squishing the baby. “You know, it’s considered bad luck if you don’t consummate the marriage right away,” I breathed into his ear and nipped at his earlobe. He pulled back and looked at me in shock. 

“Gwen, I don’t want to risk hurting you or the baby. Remember the shower?” he cautioned, stiffening as I pressed my lips to the hollow at the base of his throat. “Gwen….babe please,” he begged, torn. 

“Shhh. Just follow my lead and we’ll all end up happy. C’mon, let’s go to the bedroom,” I instructed, grabbing his hand and leading the way down the hall. I wanted to relax, but these damn hormones. I’m sure Bucky hates that this will make our total for this week in the double digits.


	19. The Birth

_What the hell is going on?_

I heard a sharp intake of breath so I quickly reached over to flick on the bedside light.  Beside me, Gwen is hunched over in pain. “Babe, what’s wrong? It’s 2:13 in the morning, is everything ok?” I asked her, reaching out to rub her shoulder. She nodded her head while fisting the bedsheet. After a few seconds, she exhaled before turning to me.

“Relax Buck. I’m just having contractions. They hurt so much that they woke me up. I’m fine though babe, go back to sleep,” she whispered, patting me on the shoulder. She laid back down on her side facing me, so I could see when she grimaced again.

“Babe, you sure you’re okay? I’m worried about you. Do you need anything?” I felt so bad. She looked like she was miserable. All I wanted was to make her happy. “Do you want some water? Or some Tylenol?” Gwen opened an eye and peered up at me. I think if looks could kill, I would be dead about nine months ago.

“Bucky, the only thing I need from you right now, is to let me get what sleep I can. I’ll wake you up if anything changes,” she growled.

God, she’s scary. Wanda and Nat have nothing on Gwen while she’s pregnant.

She rolled over onto her other side and got comfortable. “Bucky, please. I’m ok really. Just go back to sleep. I promise I’ll wake you if anything major happens,” she reassured me. I sighed before turning off the light and laying back down. I snuggled up behind her and wrapped my metal arm around her and our son. He doesn’t like me touching his mom, so he kicks every time I lay my hand or arm on her. “Buck, move your arm. He’s kicking me,” she groaned groggily. I moved my arm away and I hear her resume her light snoring. I focused on it until I fell asleep.

#

“Bucky….” I heard her call from our bedroom. Gwen has been calling for me at every moment she could, asking for anything and everything. I love her to death, but if  I have to fluff her pillow again, I might just scream. It’s almost 3 a.m. and we’ve managed a whopping four hours of sleep since her contractions started over 24 hours ago. All I want is to relax and try to get a tiny nap in before we have to head to the medical wing. My leg started to vibrate as my phone rang in my pocket. I pulled it out and after glancing at the caller ID, I answered it.

“Hey, Wanda. Whoa, slow down. What do you mean I need to check on Gwen?” I walked into the bedroom to see Gwen sitting with her knees bent and feet flat on the bed, peering down between her legs in horror. I glanced down to see what she was staring at.

“Babe, why is the bed wet?” She looked up at me, her lip quivering.

“Bucky, my water just broke,” she stammered. Time literally stood still. I could hear Wanda and then Nat yelling on the other end of the phone, but I couldn’t make out what was being said. Gwen was starting to tear up in fear. “Oh my god, my water broke. The baby’s coming.”  The phone slipped from my grasp as the gravity of the situation began to sink in. I bent down to pick up the phone to quiet the girls down.

“Uh, girls, Gwen’s water broke. I gotta go. What? Wanda, what exactly do you want me to do? Push it back in? I’m sorry, but I’m not making her wait until you get back before she has our baby!” I hit end and threw the phone down on the bed. “What do I need to do Gwen?” She grimaced in pain for a few seconds before looking back up at me.

“I need to get to the medical wing. Now. These contractions are getting closer and stronger.” I nodded before grabbing the phone and calling Dr. Waller to let her know we were on our way down. I was shaking so much, it was hard to reach down and pick Gwen up. She had pitched a fit to stay in our home instead of getting all settled into a birthing suite, so we have to rush down there. Those fucking contractions have been horrible for her all day. She could be talking and one would come up and she wouldn’t be able to breathe or talk. Gwen tended to hold her breath and ride out the pain.

“Ok babe. I’m going to carry you there ok?” I asked her. She gritted her teeth and nodded before she bent over her stomach, crying out in pain.

“He doesn’t like this. He’s kicking too hard. I can’t breathe,” she moaned. I picked her up the gentlest way I could and walked through our apartment. I’m so thankful I got her to move into the other penthouse in the Tower months ago.

“Hold on babe, we have to go down just a few floors and we’ll be there. Just hang on the best you can,” I tried to soothe her, but she kept stiffening in my arms. I could feel him moving through the taut skin over her stomach as I held her against my chest. He was kicking up a storm in there, so I could see how uncomfortable she felt. The elevator finally dinged open on the medical floor and I rushed to Dr. Waller, Gwen digging her nails into my shoulder.

“How far apart are the contractions?” the doctor asked, directing us to an open med bay.

I laid Gwen down on the bed and was gently moved out of the way as the doctor and her team of nurses swarmed around her. I stood back as they hooked her up to various machines, one of which had a belt that was wrapped around her stomach. All the beeping and machines made me think about all the times I was brought out of cryo for a mission. I had to remember to breathe and remember that it wasn’t going to happen again. Gwen yelled out in anguish and I snapped out of my reverie.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” I asked, stepping closer to the bed. She had her eyes screwed shut and I could tell that she was biting the inside of her mouth to keep from screaming. A nurse grabbed an oxygen mask and put it over her nose and mouth.

“Honey, you need to breathe. Holding your breath is hurting the baby. Just take deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth,” she explained. Gwen’s head lolled forward, looking for me.

“James, James, please,” she gasped, holding her hand out for me. I pushed through the crowd of hospital personnel until I was by her side, giving her my metal hand to hold and place against her flushed skin. She let her head fall back against her pillow, taking deep breaths and sighing in relief. The doctor came to us, giving a play-by-play of what was going to happen.

“She is dilated to an eight. If she wants an epidural, she needs to get it now. If not, we have to wait until the baby is born before giving any pain relief. Once she’s fully dilated, we can get this show on the road. Mrs. Barnes, do you want the epidural?” she asked, turning to Gwen.

“God, yes. Not sure how much longer I can stand the pain,” she groaned.

The doctor nodded then left, the anesthesiologist then came in with the syringe, and after holding Gwen upright and as still as possible, she was able to inject the medicine. They taped the IV line to Gwen’s back in case they needed to give her more before they laid her back down and waited for it to take effect. After about five minutes, the anesthesiologist tapped Gwen’s foot.

“Can you feel that?” she asked. Gwen opened her eyes and tried her best to focus.

“Feel what?” she slurred. The doctor smiled before turning to her accompanying nurse.

“That’s what I wanted to hear. I’ll let Dr. Waller know the epidural has been administered. Good luck,” she wished as she left. I looked over at Gwen when I saw that she was out like a light.

I kissed her forehead and tried to relax. Before the day is over, I will be a dad. I’m 100 years old, and I’m about to be a father for the first time. The thought filled me with an odd sense of terror and joy at the same time.

About an hour later, a nurse came in to wake Gwen up to see if she had dilated any more. The nurse checked and popped her head around the sheet that was covering Gwen’s lower half.

“We are at a 10. It’s time to start pushing,” she exclaimed. Gwen looked at me with fear in her eyes. I know that this has been real to her for the past nine months, but I think it’s just now really hitting her that we’re about to have a baby. She clutched my hand to her chest, and I could feel her heart racing.

“Bucky I’m scared. He’s going to finally be here,” she whispered. I leaned over and kissed her, giving her hand a squeeze.

“Everything is going to be okay, babe. I’m scared too, but I know we can get through this together. If we can get through that mission, then we can do this.” She nodded as Dr. Waller came in with her nurses. They pulled the stirrups out and got Gwen’s feet propped up on them. She made sure that everything was ready before speaking.

“Alrighty Gwen, it’s showtime. I’m going to count to three, and I want you to push. I need you to push as much as you can and as long as you can, okay?”

She smiled brightly, waiting for Gwen to nod.  The doctor winked at me.   _Time to do this_ , I thought.

“Okay, one, two, three, and push.” Gwen shut her eyes and pushed. She started to squeeze my metal hand, and it was a little painful.

“Good Mrs. Barnes. One, two, three, push.” More pushing and even more squeezing. I was actually uncomfortable for once.

“One, two, three, push.”  _Dammit, that hurts_.  _How the hell is she hurting my METAL HAND?_

“The head is crowning. You’re doing great Gwen! Push!”  _Holy hell! This fucking hurts!_

“Head’s out! One more good push Gwen. C’mon!”  _SWEET JESUS! THIS IS FUCKING TORTURE!_

“He’s out! Time of birth, 5:40 a.m.,” announced the doctor.

Gwen slumped back against the pillow. I looked over and there he was. “Mr. Barnes, would you like to cut the cord?” I kept my metal hand in Gwen’s grasp and I grabbed the scissors and cut where the doctor indicated.   
The doctor stuck this bulb thing up his nose and sucked gunk out and then did it to his mouth. He started crying and it was the most amazing sound I’ve ever heard. Gwen released my hand and sat up, her eyes wide as she held her hands out for him.

“Gimme,” was all she could mutter. She leaned forward and grabbed him out of the doctor’s arms, pulling him to her chest. “Hi baby,” she cooed.

He opened his eyes and stopped crying. They stared at each other for a few moments, and it was the most beautiful moment I’ve ever witnessed. Gwen smiled at him as she stroked his cheek while he rooted around on her chest. A nurse came over and asked if she could weigh and measure him. Gwen reluctantly released him and the nurse placed him on the scale and pulled out a measuring tape.

“Seven pounds, three ounces. 20 inches long,” she called out so F.R.I.D.A.Y. could record these stats as well. She brought him back to Gwen and he fed at her breast, his eyes fluttering closed. After a few minutes, she turned to me.

“Do you want to hold him Bucky?” she inquired.

I was frozen. Of course, I wanted to hold my son, but not with these arms. I’ve killed dozens of people in all different manners. It doesn’t feel right to hold a tiny, innocent, newborn baby in my arms.

“James, you need to hold him. C’mon,” she insisted. I sat down on the bed next to her, incredibly nervous. She sat up and held him out to me. I gingerly took him into my arms, awkwardly finding a way to hold him. He finally settled into my chest, his tiny hand grabbing onto my metal index finger.

I heard quiet snores and I glanced over and saw that Gwen was already asleep. I smiled and took the quiet time to study my son’s face.

He had a shock of dark hair, so fine it felt like silk between my fingers. I could see that his ears stuck out just like Gwen’s did, and it looked like he also had her nose. Everything else though was all me. It was like looking in a mirror. I wonder if he’ll end up with my eyes or Gwen’s. I pulled the blanket that he was wrapped in away and looked down at his feet. They definitely aren’t mine, but they were still pretty cute. Suddenly, my phone rang. I pulled it from my pocket and answered it after seeing who was calling.

“Hey, Stevie. Nah, everything’s alright. No, she’s fine. Both of them are sleeping right now. Yeah, he’s here. Steve, he is perfect. I mean literally, he is incredible. I can’t wait for you to meet him. Oh, you guys are passing over California? Great. I’ll see you soon then. Bye.”  
I hung up the phone and set it on the table, the sudden sound startling my little guy. He opened one eye and I could see one of my own peering back at me. I shushed him, swaying back and forth and he went back to sleep.

#

“Looks like your uncle and the rest of the team have arrived,” I announced to the baby snug in my arms. His arm was wrapped around a bear that Romanoff had found. It was, as she explained, a Bucky Bear. It was dressed like me in my Winter Soldier days, complete with metal-looking arm with a red star on it. Gwen didn’t think it was appropriate, but it made me laugh. I heard a groan and looked over to see Gwen stretching. “Morning. The team just arrived,” I informed her. She smiled and held her hands out for him.

“I think he needs to eat, so let me feed him before everyone gets here,” she stated. I nodded and handed him over, watching as she placed him at her breast and he latched on. “Bucky he’s amazing. How did we get so lucky to have this little angel given to us?” she asked. I didn’t have an answer, so all I could do was smile. “We still need to decide on his name, unless you’ve made up your mind.” She looked at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.

“I did yeah. But how about if we switch them around?” I suggested. She mulled it over before nodding. “When the team gets here, I’ll go grab and bring the two of them in here first to get their approval before we bring everyone else in,” I offered, looking over as my phone went off again. I walked over and read the message, chuckling at it. “They’re here and they’re throwing a fit because no one will let them back here.” Gwen laughed as she shook her head.

“I think he’s just about done if you want to go get them,” she started. “You know, before they get kicked out.” I laughed and nodded before leaving the room. I walked down the hall towards the waiting area, smiling at everyone as they noticed me.

“Yes, he’s finally here. No Wilson, he does not have a metal arm. Gwen and I do need to talk to the two of you though before anyone else comes in the room.”

I pointed at the two men closest to me.

Wanda began to sputter but I didn’t stop to listen as I grabbed the guys and led them down the hall. “Let me make sure that she’s decent before we go in. She was nursing him when I left,” I told them as we neared Gwen’s room. They nodded as they paused at the door. I didn’t miss the confused and concerned expression that passed between the two.


	20. The Name

Bucky peeked through the door, making sure the baby and I were ready before he led Steve and Tony into the room. He walked over and sat next to me, kissing the top of my head and picking our son up. Steve came over and hugged me, giving me a peck on the cheek. 

“Congratulations. How are you feeling?” he asked. I grinned at him and Tony before answering.

“Super. So listen, we have something we needed to talk to you two about before we bring everyone else in. It’s about his name,” I began. I snuck a peek over at my boys before continuing. “We wanted to ask if we could use yours.” Tony and Steve’s jaws both dropped. Bucky walked over to Tony and handed the baby to him.

“If you’ll both let us, we were thinking of naming him Anthony Steven Barnes,” he said softly. I have never seen Tony Stark speechless before, so this was a first. “I know you and I aren’t on the best of terms, so I hope this helps to ease some of the pain I’ve caused you, Tony.” Steve pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures of the tender moment, as a few tears trailed down the younger man’s face.

“Wow. This is an honor. Are…are you sure?” Tony asked shakily, adjusting Little Anthony in his arms so he could wipe the tears from his face. Bucky clapped him on the shoulder and chuckled.

“Of course we’re sure. That’s why we’re asking for permission.  What do you say?” he asked. Tony nodded, not trusting his voice enough to not crack. Steve walked to his best friend and grabbed him in a bear hug before holding Bucky at arm’s length. 

“I’d be honored if he had my name, Buck. Tony, hand him over.” He strode over and lifted my son into his arms. Tony was immediately on his phone, calling someone about a fund of some sort. I grinned at him as he stepped out, before turning my attention to Steve and Bucky. 

“Steve, I had something else I wanted to ask. You’re my best friend, my brother. I can’t think of anyone else who would keep him safe. Will you be his godfather?” The blond turned to me for confirmation. I nodded and he shed a few tears as well. 

“Absolutely. I’ll guard him with my life,” he swore with utmost conviction. Tony walked back in and I made a ‘take a picture’ gesture with my hands and he took a picture of the brothers before stowing his phone back in his pocket. 

“Anthony Barnes now has a college fund and savings account both filled with  $1,000,000 that will collect interest until he turns 18,” he announced. Bucky and I glanced at each other before I started crying. 

“Tony, that is incredibly sweet and thoughtful, but you didn’t have to do that,” I sniffled. Bucky walked over and embraced him, lifting him off the ground a couple inches in his excitement. 

“This is the closest I will get to having my own kid, so yes, I did have to do that.” Tony flashed his trademark smirk over Bucky’s shoulder at me. “Alright Tin Man. You can put me down now.” Bucky set him back down before turning to me. 

“Want me to go get everyone else?” He asked. I nodded as Steve walked over to sit beside me. Bucky shut the door behind him as he left. I glanced at Steve to see that he was gazing down at his godson with the most adoring smile on his face. The door started to open and Wanda burst through, making a beeline for me. 

“Congrats! Where is he?” She squealed as she gave me a hug. I nodded at Steve and she vaulted the bed, picking up the tiny bundle in his arms. “Oh my god. He’s adorable! He looks just like you, Bucky!” She gushed as she turned to give Bucky a one-armed hug. Sam walked over and gave me a quick hug before going over to peek at Little Anthony.

“Damn Barnes. I know I always give you crap, but you sure know how to make a cute kid. Congrats dude,” he complimented, shaking Bucky’s hand. The rest of the team, followed by Maria, Pepper, and Laura filed into the room. After hugs and many wishes of congratulations, Tony cleared his throat, catching everyone’s attention. 

“I’m sure everyone wants to know what name you bestowed upon this kid,” he began. “Do you mind if I tell them?” He was grinning and rubbing his hands together, clearly bursting with glee. Bucky and I looked at each other. 

“Sure, Tony. Go ahead and tell them,” I conceded. 

“Yay! Alright, and this is the truth, they have named him Anthony Steven Barnes.” Tony was bouncing with how proud he was. Everyone looked around at us, a collective ‘aww’ coming from the women. “It’s a fantastic name right? I mean, they named him after me” he asked. There was a collective groan from everyone. Tony looked around in fake shock. “What? I’m not bragging too much, am I?” Maria rolled her eyes at him as she pulled a gift bag out from behind her and handed it to me. 

“No shit, Sherlock,” she quipped before turning to me. “I got him a little gift. Hope it fits,” she explained as I pulled out the contents. It was a onesie that said ‘Keep Calm, My dad is a soldier’ with a matching bib. It was cute but also ironic, because once people learned who Bucky was, a lot of them were anything but calm. 

“Thanks, Maria. Can’t wait to put it on him,” I thanked her. She and Steve have been dating for a while and they made such a sweet couple. It looks like Steve finally found someone who made him happy. She took Anthony from Wanda and walked over to Steve. They looked lovingly into each other’s eyes and Nat snapped a quick picture. It was a Kodak moment if there ever was one. One by one, the rest of the team took turns holding and taking pictures with my son. He was starting to fuss until finally, Bucky snatched him back from Wanda, who had been holding him for the past 20 minutes, and brought him over to me. 

“Here we go buddy,” he cooed, placing Anthony in my arms. Our son stretched his little arms and snuggled into my chest. “I think he wanted his mommy back,” Bucky chuckled, glancing at the put-out look on Wanda’s face. Nat came over and motioned for us to sit close so she could take a picture. Bucky sat next to me on the bed and put his arm around my shoulder, Anthony snuggled in between us as she pointed her camera and clicked. We stayed huddled together after she turned the camera away, our little family all together surrounded by our Avenger family. I have never felt so complete before in my life, but as I looked down at my son who so resembled his father, I knew I had finally found the family I had craved for so long.


	21. Bonus Chapter 1 - It's All Over

I was fixing Anthony a bowl of baby cereal while he and Bucky played in the living room. As I was finishing up, I peeked around the corner and my heart swooned at the sight before me.

Bucky was playing peekaboo with Anthony and they were laughing their heads off. It’s not every day that you see a former assassin giggling like crazy while he plays with his infant son. I’ve truly been blessed with my boys.

“I hate to interrupt playtime, but can you bring little man in here and get him in his highchair? It’s time for his cereal,” I called out. I could hear Bucky talking with Anthony before I heard his feet padding across the floor.

“I know buddy, but you gotta eat. Once mommy is done feeding you, we can go back and finish playing,” he promised. He buckled his mini-me into the highchair before walking over and kissing my cheek. “How’s my beautiful gal this morning?” he asked on his way to pour himself a cup of coffee.

“Much better since I got to sleep in. Thanks for getting up with him,” I answered, kissing him back before beginning to spoon the cereal into Little A’s mouth. He’s only six months old, but he’s got the appetite of his father and uncle.

“I love waking up with him. Turns out my aversion to sleep is finally a good thing. You get much-needed sleep, and I get more time with my boy,” Bucky reasoned. “It’s a win-win situation.” I couldn’t argue with him there.

“Fine with me,” I agreed. “Geez, he’s already done with this bowl. It’s a good thing we make decent money, or else you and him would eat me out of house and home. Can yo-” the rest of my sentence was lost as Bucky swooped in and got Anthony out of his chair and started flying him around the kitchen. “Buck, you can’t d-”

“Gwen, I’ve got this. I’ll hang with him while you get him more cereal.” He began to gently toss Anthony up in the air and catch him on his way down.

“Bucky, you have to give his stomach time to settle before shaking him around.” When he didn’t stop, I shook my head and shrugged before getting the box of cereal out and making another bowl. That’s when I heard it; the unmistakable sound of a person retching and the subsequent sound of vomit coming in contact with multiple surfaces. I heard Anthony giggle before I turned around and lost it at the sight behind me.

Anthony was still held up in Bucky’s outstretched hands, baby cereal tinged vomit on his lips. There was a small puddle on the floor, but most of it had landed on Bucky.

It was on his face, in his hair, in his mouth, and all over his shirt. He was stuck in place, face scrunched up in disgust. I couldn’t breathe due to how hard I was laughing. “H-hold on,” I stammered, trying to get my laughs under control. I grabbed my phone and snapped a quick picture because Sam and Tony would die if they didn’t get to see this.

I wet a washcloth and walked over and cleaned up the puke on the floor. Upon inspection, some of it had made it between Bucky’s toes and I lost it again. I rinsed off the wash rag before I wiped A’s face off and grabbed him from Bucky, chuckling as I placed the rag in his hands.

“Here ya go babe,” I chortled as he unfroze and began to clean his face off. “I told daddy not to bounce you around right after eating. Maybe next time he’ll listen to mommy,” I cooed as I placed Anthony back in his highchair. I looked over my shoulder and could see that Bucky still had puke in his hair. “Buck, I think you missed a spot.” He shot me a Winter Soldier glare, but it was ruined by how ridiculous he looked.

“Ya think? God, it’s all over. I’m gonna have to take a shower to get it all out,” he spat. He walked forward while on his heels, trying to keep the vomit on his feet from getting on the carpet. “I’ll say one thing for sure, you’ve got great aim, little guy because I think some of it went down my throat.” I busted up laughing at the sight of how green he suddenly looked before he hobbled to the bathroom as fast as possible. I heard him heave and groan before the toilet flushed.

Yep, looks like our son has terrific aim.


	22. Bonus Chapter 2 - Houdini

**Gwen’s P.O.V**  
“Bucky, are you sure you can handle him? I can always cancel my appointment.” I was apprehensive that Anthony would be too much for him to handle on his own. Bucky shook his head at me.

“Relax doll. I’ve got him, and Steve and Sam will be here too. Go enjoy your spa day. You deserve it.” Steve and Sam walked up, Anthony in Steve’s arms, as I fiddled with my purse. I kissed A bye-bye when he leaned toward me. I sneakily tried to pull him into my arms, but Steve had a vice grip on him and smirked at me.

“I don’t think so,” he chuckled. “Buck’s right, Gwen. We’ve got him. You can go,” the blond agreed. “If for some ungodly reason we can’t handle him, we’ll call. But it’s unlikely. I mean, what better babysitters could you ask for than Captain America and the Falcon?” He smiled before turning me around and pushing me toward the door. I turned back to offer to stay when Sam grabbed my arms and frog-marched me out the door.

“Go. We got this. Have a great time.” He shut the door on me and I sighed, trudging to the elevator so I could leave.

**Bucky’s P.O.V**

“Alright little man, let’s get you some toys and make you a little pallet on the floor so you can hang with us while we watch the Patriots murder the Falcons.” I grinned over at Wilson, who flipped me off.

Steve ran to grab toys while Sam held my son on his lap, allowing me to lay out the blanket that Gwen usually lays out for him. Steve brought back a bunch of toys and grabbed Anthony from Sam and set him down. I put together some snacks and pulled a few beers out and we all got comfy on the couch and turned the tv on.

After a while, we were completely zoned out on the game. I happened to look down to see if Anthony was doing ok, but he was nowhere to be seen. I stood up, walking around the living room, making sure I hadn’t overlooked him. “Shit.” Steve and Sam looked up at me.

“What’s wrong Buck?” Steve asked, standing to put his beer bottle in the trash. “Whoa, where’s Anthony?”

“I don’t know. He was right here just a minute ago. Last I knew, he wasn’t able to move that fast.” I ran into the kitchen, opening cabinets. “There’s no way he’s learned how to open the baby-proofed doors…right?” The guys shook their heads, an incredibly worried look on their faces. “Let’s split up and look for him. Surely he couldn’t have gone far.” I ran to the bathroom, Steve went to my bedroom and Sam looked in A’s room. We all regrouped, and the answer was the same; no Anthony.

“Ok. Gwen should be home in a couple hours. We have to find him by then. Let’s keep looking and hopefully one of us just didn’t look hard enough and we’ll find him.” Steve was starting to draw battle plans for demolishing the building to find his godson, while I was shaking in fear. In part because I lost my kid, but mostly because of Gwen. She’d never forgive me if something happened to him on my watch. I wouldn’t blame her either.

#

“Guys, we’ve looked everywhere. Anthony has pulled a Houdini on us.” Sam sighed in defeat. 

Oh shit. I hear Gwen’s footsteps outside. I gulped as she walked through the door.

“Hey, babe. How was your spa day?” She looked relaxed and happy, for the moment. She smiled brightly before kissing me.

“Oh, it was great. I’ve never felt more rejuvenated. Hey, where’s little man?” Uh-oh. She looked around before she started walking through the apartment, checking the rooms. “Bucky, where is Anthony?” She came back into the living room, looking unhappy. This is bad. This is really bad. “Steven Grant Rogers, Samuel Thomas Wilson, and James Buchanan Barnes, where the hell is my son?” I looked over her shoulder and Steve and Sam were frozen in place, sheer terror on their faces.

“Well, uh babe, you see, we were watching the game and uh-”

“And what?” Anyone who says Romanoff is scary has never seen Gwen angry. She may be small, but she is fucking terrifying.

“We uh, we weren’t really paying attention. To him, at least.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty obvious. And then?” She had her arms crossed over her chest and was tapping her foot. I’m so dead.

“Well, I looked down and didn’t see him. We started looking for him and we hadn’t stopped, until you came home,” I finished meekly.

“Sit down now, all three of you,” she ordered, eerily calm. Pretty sure none of us have moved that quickly before.

“Gwen, I’m sor-”

“Zip it, Rogers.” Oh shit. We are so dead. She walked into the kitchen, pausing in front of the fridge. “James, do you remember me telling you that Anthony has learned how to  _CLIMB_  things?” Oh no. She reached up to the cabinet above the fridge and opened it.

There he was, fast asleep. She brought a step stool over and clambered onto it, extracting our son from his hiding spot. He woke up just then, breaking into a smile when she saw mommy was holding him. “Hello, my sweet boy! Did you have fun playing hide and seek with Daddy, Uncle Steve, and Uncle Sam? Think it’s a safe bet to say you won!” She giggled with him before turning to us.

“The two of you,” she growled, pointing at Steve and Sam, “are banned from this apartment until further notice. You complain? I add more time on. That understood?” They nodded quickly. “Get out of my sight before I make it permanent.” They responded with a ‘Yes Ma'am’ before scurrying out the door. Lucky bastards. She turned on me, a wicked grin on her face.

“Gwen?”

She burst into peals of laughter, sitting down in my recliner. “Oh my god, you should have seen your faces! Oh man. F.R.I.D.A.Y please tell me you have that on record?” Dammit. I forgot about F.R.I.D.A.Y. Hell, I probably could’ve asked her where Anthony was and this whole thing could have been avoided.

“Absolutely Mrs. Barnes.” Gwen laughed some more, A joining in with her.

“Wait…so you’re not mad?” She wiped her eyes and huffed before a few remaining chuckles escaped.

“No, I’m not mad.” What the hell? “How long did it take for you to realize he was gone?”

“Uh, well the first quarter wasn’t over yet if that helps.” She laughed again before explaining.

“Geez, that was fast.” She smiled at me before going on. “I’ve never told you about his climbing. I only said that for Steve and Sam’s benefit.” Wait a minute…..

“So all of that was for show?” I clarified and she nodded. Sonofabitch. “Why?”

“Because you three are always talking about how badass you are and how you guys can do anything. So, Nat, Maria and I decided to knock you down a few pegs.”

……. I literally have no words.

“Anthony climbs up there all the time. That’s where he naps. Guess he’s following in his dad’s footsteps of being a sniper and having a lookout.” I honestly cannot believe she did this.

“Oh, you’re gonna get it. Just you wait.” I’m mad, but I can see why this is funny to her.

“Well, I was kinda banking on you not paying much attention to him, and you delivered. F.R.I.D.A.Y was monitoring him the entire time. I knew you had ‘lost’ him before you even knew it.” She stood up and walked by me, pausing to kiss the top of my head. “Steve and Sam aren’t really banned either.” I glared up at her, a smirk on my face.

“Good to know.” She leaned down and whispered in my ear.

“I’m never letting the three of you live this down. Love you!” She took off to Anthony’s room, and I was hot on her tail.


End file.
